THE DYNAMIC OF SPIRIT, SOUL, AND BODY
Many lost across the Earth welcome the Gospel of Jesus Christ and gladly receive it, ignorant of the subtleties of religious reasonings. They take what is written or recited in its plain text as meaning exactly what it says, without question. They witness in their hearts the beauty and value of the expressed Word. Convicted and repentant, they aspire to become reverently obedient to its loving commands. Never questioning its validity, or reconstructing it into a more modern day application, or considering translation errors, or its seemingly difficulties, unreasonableness or absurdity. Generally speaking, their attitude is genuine, wholehearted, God fearing, and innocent.
That is, until the serpent enters into the garden through the false teachers who bring forth damnable heresies. “…. those who have forsaken the right way, wells without water, tares of the enemy spring up in their midst”, those religiously indoctrinated, materialistic, half–hearted, ungodly men. [Jude and 2 Peter 2] These have reinterpreted the message of the Gospel so that it does not resemble the clear message that is portrayed in Scripture. These are “… hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” [Matthew 23:13]
Hypocrites are tares sown by satan and suffered by the Lord. “So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.…” [Matthew 13:27-30] They are used by satan to twist or choke out the Word and guide the unsuspecting into some denominational blinding religious thinking and guard the doors lest anyone escape the religious church systems. Lest they find the meaning in Christ’s Words and their way into their rightful inheritance; the mysterious kingdom of the heavens. [Matthew 13:11]
Hypocrites, which New Covenant Scripture describes, are typed by those religious folk of His day, and similarly are seemingly sincere Christian Bible teachers who teach the same “Babylonian”–based philosophies. These are actually ancient fallen angels’ doctrines modernized for entrapping and stunting the spiritual growth of those who have been translated out of their kingdom. This is a spiritual reality for Christian beings. “Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.…” This, on the one hand holds forth an eternal future repositioning promise, in that we are not his ‘subjects’ who then will suffer the same eternal fate of satan and those fallen angels; when he loses his now existing kingdom. But on the other hand, this Scripture speaks to a current present spiritual repositioning while we are alive and satan has yet his kingdom. In this current new experiential position we are called to spiritual warfare with our previous master.
Additionally, in this present translation into the Kingdom of Heaven, positionally there is potentially a New Covenant promise held forth for those who engage and overcome their previous master’s nature. It is a promise of ruling in that future Kingdom of Christ. To that end we were translated out of satan’s kingdom, and now enabled in that regeneration/translation so that we might realize, through our own worthiness, wrought in watching and praying and faithful works, that place reserved in the future Kingdom of the heavens for the Overcomer experientially.
“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” [1st Corinthians 6:9-20]
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” [Romans 6:11-23]
It was in Mystery Babylon, (Revelation 17:5) which Scripture reveals, where all the false philosophies of Religion were first instilled into the minds of Men. [Genesis 10:8-10,11:1-9] It was where the roots of pantheism, reincarnation, demonism, spiritism, and where all the many varied fleshly indulgences of man were designed and met and then mixed with religious rite. Whether it be esthetic pleasure of gaudy cathedrals, the sensual pleasures of mind and body, the inspiring of the intellect, the rigors of the ascetic, (dead) works–centric, (etc.), Mystery Babylon has some religious system to appeal to all divisions of mankind and cultures worldwide.
Modern day “Christian” teachers of the Scriptures perpetuate doctrines that have reasoned away the heart of the Gospel Truth. That heart is maturity; “faith energized by love” (Galatians 5:6) with fruit–bearing works. “And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirty-fold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” [Mark 4] “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” [See John 15:1-10] These false teachers in Christianity are sown by satanic forces to choke out maturing and true, loving, faithful, fruit–bearing in Christians. And they come in different flavors and are thoroughly described by our Lord in Matthew 23, 2nd Peter 2 and Jude, etc.
MERELY BORN AGAIN
‘Merely born-again’ is a term and a REAL condition that seems most accurately to describe the aborted, corrupted soul of the modern day Christian. It is the prophesied–by–Christ latter day Laodicean church members’ attitude. “So then because thou art lukewarm….because thou sayest.…I am in need of nothing.…and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind and naked.…I counsel thee….” [Revelation 3:16-18]
In its type, it means a Christian who has been redeemed by the Blood and brought out of Egypt by the power of God, and is now stalled in the wilderness with the exhortation of God to move on into overcoming faith to the inheritance of the Promised Land. (See illustrations of Spirit Soul and Body, Creation and Fall, Comparisons to Egypt, Wilderness and Promised Land.)
To be “merely born again” means, from its negative connotation, what Paul describes in Hebrews 5 & 6 as “…. dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat….for he is a babe.” [Hebrews 5:11-13] Paul, like Moses before him, exhorts and warns to go on to the Promised Land. He says to, “….go on unto perfection.…” Don’t be one of those who have participated in the redemptive Blood and “…were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.…” (Hebrews 6:4) who are in dire danger of falling away. Don’t be like those whose hearts finally turn back to Egypt, in effect turning off the elucidating light unto the heart, (refer to drawing) and at that point making it impossible to renew their minds unto repentance. “….seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” [Hebrews 6:6] This New Covenant reality is typed in Israel’s wilderness pardon and future restoration. “Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now. [Numbers 14:19] In this great intercession prayer by Moses, we can see the type for Jesus Christ’s prayer unto the Father for all those delivered out of the kingdom of satan in the New Covenant. “And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word: (as it relates to redemption’s gift) But as truly as I live, — all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men which have seen — my glory, and — my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted — me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; Surely they shall not see — the land (the glorious Kingdom of Christ) which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it (not having a part in the first resurrection they will not see it): But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” [Numbers 14:20-24] See also Ezekiel 20:33-44.
To be “dull of hearing” means to wantonly remain ignorant of GOD’S SALVATION PLAN, and to be about entertaining reasonings of a salvation plan more to your liking. Going “….onto perfection.…” is the diligent pursuit unto “…. the full assurance of hope unto the end: That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” [Hebrews 6:11,12] Joshua and Caleb were the forerunners in that Old Covenant type. See Hebrews 6:19-20 for that New Covenant antitype. “…who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail; Whither the foreunner is for us entered, even Jesus….”
The word Sanctification is used to express the spiritual dynamic of “separation unto God” AND the course of life befitting those so separated. Read 1st Thessalonians 4:3,4,7; Romans 6:19,22; 1st Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 12:14. Sanctification is simply the process of presenting, training, and yielding your mind and will to the revealed Words of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6,7,8) Regeneration restores and enhances our spirit’s ability to hear and observe those Words of Christ. The Holy Spirit is the great agent in this sanctification process. [Romans 15:16; 2nd Thessalonians 2:13; 1st Peter 1:2] Sanctification is that relationship with God, into which men enter by faith in the Atonement of Christ. [Acts 2:18]
In other words, we are sanctified (set apart) by the enhancement of the merciful gift of regeneration for the purpose of a further work of SANCTIFICATION. This is that resisting of the flesh and the engaging of the spirit/Spirit in the development of holy character of Christ. It is expressed in loving, self–sacrificial works, which holds forth the promise of great reward. This is faith. This is crucifying the flesh. This is minding the spirit/Spirit. This is putting on the whole armor. This is casting down every high imagination that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. This is Christ’s demand to overcome.
HERE ARE SOME OF ITS DEFINITIONS….
For holy character, see 1st Thessalonians 3:13. This is not a vicarious experience, and it cannot be transferred or imputed. It is an individual possession, built-up, step by step, little by little, as the result of Spirit/spirit–led obedience to the Truth of God, and following the example of Christ. See Matthew 11:29; John 13:15; Ephesians 4:20; Philippians 2:5. In the empowering power of the Holy Spirit, see Romans 8:13 Ephesians 3:16. (FOR A COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING AND DEFINITION OF THE GREEK WORDS FOR SANCTIFICATION, HAGIASMOS, HAGIOSUME AND HAGIAZO, LOOK AT W.E. VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY.)
“Merely Born-again” is not the same as a new-born babe in Christ. It is descriptive of someone who has settled into the wilderness of presumptuousness or despair, apathy or dead works, some religious reasoning or religious system. Someone like Saul whom the Lord rebuked for his presumptuous spiritual insensitiveness. “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” [Acts 9:5] Or someone who loves the World like Demas in 2nd Timothy 4:10, “…who hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.…” It means those who resist Christ’s proddings, who have not perceived, received or understood the Covenant purpose of His ATONEMENT Korban or Sacrifice. At least not understanding the underlining primary accomplishment and purpose of it; that being unto every born again believer the availability to take us beyond redemption by the Gift of the Power of the HOLY SPIRIT “unto the purging through the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.…that they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.” [Hebrews 9:14,15] See also John 7:37-39; Acts 1:8.
It is this persistent spiritual condition that often causes the Disciplines and Chastisements of God. “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For — our God is a consuming fire.” [Hebrews 12:1-29] See also Job 5:7.
These rebukes, chastisements, disciplines are remedial and corrective and are intended to open the will gate of our heart that we should learn/mature and to let go of selfish control. These 4 things other than our own sincere meditation in the Word, open our will gate: (1) defeat of or victory over the enemy (Exodus15:1-21) (2) sufferings through tribulations, tests and trials (Romans 8:17, 5:1-5; Matthew 5:11; Philippians 2:17) (3) discipline and chastisement of God (4) brokenness (a heaviness brought about through the conscience. Sometimes guilt or great loss. See drawing.)
Often we, like the early Laodicean Church system, are presumptuously confident of our spiritual well–being. Most of us have been so because we have just been taught wrong. We were deceived as to the scriptural validity and extreme importance of the need and requirement of the Lord for a further work in our soul to attain unto the fullness of the Salvation plan and inheritance. A great many have been taught doctrines such as the all-encompassing doctrine of complete inheritance, based upon “once saved (born again) always saved (entitled recipient of the glory–filled inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ )” or what is described as “ETERNAL SALVATION ASSURANCE.” The assurance of a glory-filled inheritance is an assurance unattainable merely through a doctrinal belief, absent from a present living fellowship and relationship. This presumptuous doctrine is void of the Scriptural difference between eternal life being a gift and eternal glory being the prize. The perpetuation of this false doctrine is “tare”-ish in nature, giving Christians a false sense of security as to the fullness of their inheritance.
Another doctrine taught, that runs hand in hand with “once saved always saved” is the over–emphasis of how God is “Love”. His Love is overemphasized so much that it obscures any accountability, or the wisdom and knowledge of the Holy SEVERITY/JUSTICE OF GOD. (See 1st John 4:8; Romans 11:22,33; Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 6:23; 2nd Corinthians 9:6; Revelation 2:23; Hebrews chapters 3,6 and 10.)
Continuing on, there is the false doctrine that God’s Salvation plan or promises are “unconditional”. They say that since it is a covenant between God and the Messiah and therefore infallible and irrevocable, and since we are “in Christ”, we are participants in all His promises, they are therefore unconditional. If you take the time, just look at all the “if”s in the New Covenant, then you shall find that this theology is just not scriptural, for ALL His promises related to our salvation are conditional.
Other such false unscriptural teachings find their roots in such false doctrines. Some are misapplications or misunderstandings of God’s Word, such as “God sees you through the blood of Christ, white as snow”. And when born-again Christians are convicted by the Spirit through their spirit’s conscience over sin, these false purveyors of God’s Word and Salvation Plan are quickly there to misdiagnose this conviction as being unwarranted condemnation for a Christian. (Jude 4) They say such things like: “You are a New Creature and should have a Righteousness conscienceous, there is no condemnation in Christ (which is a misquote/ half-quote of the verse; a misrepresentation of Romans 8:1 which says that, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”) They tell you to “take authority over that lying devil” and soothe their consciences with that cheap “Grace” message of “all have fallen short of the Glory of God there are none without sin.”
COMMUNION/Koinonia/fellowship
Communion in the Spirit/spirit brings the knowing of God. [1st John 1:3-6] Merely believing may stop short of knowing. This state of Unbelief, as it relates to Christians, could be ignorance or rebellion. In the case of the Israelites who knew but refused, it was rebellion. To believe in someone is one thing, to know that someone is another. To have knowledge of something or someone can be cold and analytical. “I have met John Doe.” This state of mind has gone beyond belief to having established knowledge.
God-liked faith is built upon merely believing with knowledge unto knowing mixed with love. There is a type of faith which comes from belief and knowledge only, stopping short of intimacy, a type of faith without love. The difference of FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT Christians and soulish, nominal Christians is one is a state of mind with soulish faith and the other is a state of heart with yielded will.
False faith is non–commitment of the whole person to whom he believes. True faith is full–commitment of the whole person to the Person of God revealed in the Bible by the Holy Spirit. Intimacy comprehends the thoughts of God behind His Words. Intimacy comprehends Truth as opposed to religious reasonings or just scriptural “facts’. An example of a true scriptural fact is seen in their use by satan in the recorded temptations of Christ. “Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again (also), Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” [Matthew 4:5-7]
When satan said to the Lord, “it is written’, as is related to a partial-truth, the Lord responded that “it is also written”, establishing this understanding that TRUTH is not {necessarily) in “that which is written”, but in the “IT IS ALSO WRITTEN”. (This is the good Berean mindset.) Scriptural true facts misconstrued are not TRUTH. (See John 8:39.)
“Knowing” God realizes the Truth of His Words, not just religious biased beliefs. There can be no contradiction in God’s Words. If there appears to be, we have not enough information, His Wisdom, or understanding. Christians are subjected to false doctrines on each side of Truth. “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness….whereby they lie in wait to deceive.” [Ephesians 4:14] Someone has said, like a drunken peasant, when you help him up on one side of his horse, he falls to the other. The same God who declares no one may pluck one from His Hand is the same God who said He would judge all men according to their deeds. The same God who wrote all the assurances in the New Covenant also wrote the 5 dire warnings of the Book of Hebrews. Both facts are equally true in Truth (erect in the saddle). The false message depends on what side of the horse you have fallen to.
A common error of many well–intentioned Christian teachers down through time is that they have not been taught the two parts of the Atonement and correspondingly the two steps of sanctification. They have taken scriptures that refer to the those who have taken the second step in being spirit/Spirit–minded “sanctified” Christians and have erroneously been taught to apply them to “carnal”/merely born-again Christians, who have only took the first step; justification. This is one example in 1st Peter 2:9: “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.…” This Scripture has in view mature Christians.
So an erroneous teaching is perpetuated, that of a miss-understanding and miss-appropriation and application of Scriptures that have in view the spirit/Spirit–led mature Christian versus the just born–again Christian. This misleads a sincere seeker of Christ and stops their spiritual growth as they have mistakenly been taught they were, or are, automatically “Sanctified”. Meaning that they have been imputed Christ’s Holy Character as a new covenant participant’s benefit. The Scriptural Truth is that we are sanctified/set apart by the gift; for the purpose of the process of Sanctification. Sanctification meaning the development of Holy Character unto the prize of the first resurrection, and thus ruling with Him as priests.
So it is, we have mistakenly been taught to equate merely born-again justifying faith in the Atonement, which is the eternal life gift ,based solely on the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ, as being synonymous with the required 2nd step in “Sanctification”, which is our required works of righteousness. The type set before us is Israel’s blood atonement deliverance out of Egypt, which did not guarantee their inheritance in the Promised Land.
And because of this subtle lie of satan, some genuine seekers, who expect some automatic results, later become discouraged when recognizing their own continued carnality, and even question the validity of their New Birth. And THEN false teachers of the Gospel, often ignorant of the two parts of the Atonement and the required spiritual battle of the spirit with the flesh, erroneously teach that
“God imputes righteousness because none can be PERFECT, without sin, and only the Lord was sinless! You have been forgiven all sin, past, present and future! They have confused the Scriptures, in that they take that fact of the first part of the Atonement and erroneously apply it to the second part of the Atonement. And with such-like teachings, they falsely assure the sincere questioning Christians of their so-called “inalienable rights” in the state of covenant forgiveness. They almost, if not all together, eliminate the need of consecration and the process of Sanctification. They eliminate the necessity of working out their own salvation with fear and trembling. (See Philippians 2:12)
All of these doctrines, and more, have a hint of TRUTH in them but, like rat poison, just a “pinch” of poison in rat food is sufficient to kill. They are TRUE statements but not TRUTH.
The previous misrepresentations of the WORD of God are examples of how the subtleness of satan’s religious reasonings presented to the carnal Christian’s mind is very acceptable. See 2nd Corinthians 11:3, “…but I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his *subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”
*subtle
(especially of a change or distinction) so delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe. his language expresses rich and subtle meanings
- (of a mixture or effect) delicately complex and understated. subtle lighting
- making use of clever and indirect methods to achieve something. he tried a more subtle approach
- capable of making fine distinctions. a subtle mind
- arranged in an ingenious and elaborate way
- archaic crafty; cunning
IS MERELY BEING BORN AGAIN ALL THAT WORTHY OF MERIT? There has been so much emphasis on promoting and getting “born again”. In type, this is being redeemed from Egypt, but we have not understood the fullness of the remainder of the journey in type. Another scriptural miss-understanding represented as the Truth, is that the Promised Land refers to our eternal Inheritance, Heaven. That understanding or “typing” of the Promised Land to heaven is most often misrepresented. One clear example that the land of Canaan does not represent Heaven is the seven greater and mightier nations, including Giants, who were in possession of the Promised Land and whom the Lord was requiring the Israelites to annihilate as they took possession. Undoubtedly this is not a very good representation of Heaven, because it is not intended to be a “shadowing” for Heaven. Although there are some shadows of the New Covenant overcomer’s inheritance in the heavens related with this World/Earth.
If Egypt represents/types satan’s domain, and the place UNREGENERATE and enslaved are, then what does the “Wilderness” and “Canaan Land” type? The Wilderness represents who, what, and where in type? The Wilderness types the Giving and learning of the Word or Torah for the revelation of the flesh vs spirit/Ishmael and Isaac. (See Galatians chapters 4-6.) In the Wilderness, we can see the Carnal SOUL conflicting with the new state of being Born-again and free (no longer in bondage) and the need for complete Atonement revelation.
If not the Heaven wherein Gods ‘presence’ resides, where and what does Canaan, the Promised Land represent? In the first application, the Promised Land represents the salvation of The Soul of Man and the place where the war for the fullness of the promised inheritance is fought, which is from the regenerated spirit by the gift of the power of the Holy Spirit. The WHAT the Promised Land represents is the entire Sanctification of Man, spirit soul and body, by cooperating with the Holy Spirit for the crucifixion of the flesh. THE PLACE GOD INTENDS FOR YOU TO CONQUER AND OCCUPY THE PROMISED LAND (YOUR EMANCIPATION) AS A VICTORIOUS OVERCOMER IS YOUR ENTIRE BEING FROM BORDER TO BORDER. THAT REPRESENTS, IN THE END STATE, THE PROMISED INHERITANCE. THE END STATE BEING AN ENTIRELY SANCTIFIED, GLORIFIED BEING. NOT JUST SPIRIT ETERNAL LIFE, BUT SPIRT, SOUL, AND BODY. Paul prayed for this in 1st Thessalonians 5:23: “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The vast majority of Christians are IN the wilderness, wandering around the mountain, MERELY REGENERATED, or in type delivered/redeemed from Egypt but refusing to FOLLOW the HOLY SPIRIT into the battle against principalities and powers for the PROMISED LAND. This spiritual reality is possibly the most important spiritual truth necessary to awaken a sleepy church. It’s the the antidote for the poisoned believer.
Leave A Comment