It’s All About Him - Christian Word



It’s All About Him!! 2005/26 11/13/05

The sons of God, are led by the Spirit of God, and they have a destination as they follow His lead. Their [our] spiritual destiny is pre-destined as they continue to follow Him. It is not a destiny that we can achieve on our own, but God is so rich in His marvelous, enduring mercy, that He is always on hand to bring us through.

With all that said, lets turn to 1 Thess 5:23-24;

“And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you through and through [separate you from profane things, make you pure and wholly consecrated to God]; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved sound and complete [and found] blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah).

Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].”

(hagiazo-greek) for ‘hallowing’ carries the meaning of our destiny mentioned and that is that all men may be holy. We are exhorted in 1 Peter 1:14-16, and I am going a long way to bring this home;

“[Live] as children of obedience [to God]; do not conform yourselves to the evil desires [that governed you] in your former ignorance [when you did not know the requirements of the Gospel].

But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living.

For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

It would seem that there is more in the requirements of the Gospel than we are normally taught. We have just seen two different places, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit by two different men, that we have a calling of the Lord and that calling is a requirement of the Gospel and that is that we be found holy.

Now, lets just take one moment and let me tell you that holiness should be the fruit of righteousness. We were, when we were born again, made the righteousness of God in Christ by the God of all righteousness, but holiness is what we do with what we have been made, and it takes a loving God, to come to our side to accomplish this, because we have to overcome a great thickness of flesh to do so. Francis Frangipane recently wrote an article that I want to take one quote from that speaks huge measures to what I am going to continue here to share with you, and I quote;

“There are certain times when the Lord calls us out of the routine of our daily lives. These are special seasons where His only command is, “Seek My Face.” He has something precious and vitally important to give us that the familiar (the charted) pattern of our daily devotions cannot accommodate. During such times, people are often delivered of sins that have plagued them for years; others discover a depth in their walk with God that leads to greater effectiveness in ministry and prayer. Still, others experience breakthroughs in their families and are used by God to see loved ones brought into the kingdom.

Yet, here we are not seeking God for things, or even for other people. We are seeking God for Himself. Maturity starts as we break the cycle of seeking God only during hardships; holiness begins the moment we seek God for Himself. A touch from God is wonderful, but we are in pursuit of more than just an experience – more that “goose bumps and tears.” We are seeking to abide in Christ, where we are continually aware of His fullness within us and where His presence dwells in us in glory.”

I will go back to some of what we have had, even in the last few weeks and I wonder what to think, when the Holy Spirit urges me to go to places where we have been recently, but He usually indicates a question to me; “Are you teaching this or am I?” and that stops the wondering, so turn to Philippians 1:6 & 9,10,11;

“And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you.

And this I pray: that your love may abound more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment].

So that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best, and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless (holy) [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble].

May you abound in and be filled with the fruits of righteousness (holiness) [of right standing with God and right doing) which come through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One), to the honor and praise of God [that His glory may be both manifested and recognized]”.

There is much in these verses, but one thing that I must add, is that for the Holy Spirit to facilitate God’s purposes in our lives, He must help us to redefine both our definition of reality and our priorities in life. Christlikeness must become our singular goal. It’s All About Him.

I also already know, that there is no way that I can do any of this on my own. Oh, I can think about it, and even desire it, but I also know that I live in a body with a soul [flesh], that wants its own way, when and how it wants it, and it is difficult to get past that, But God, so rich is He in His mercy that He comes up, along side, and does that which I cannot do alone. Salvation is the first step of a journey and that is the start of my development and let’s, turn to another familiar portion in Phil. 2:12-15:

“Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out, (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ).

[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire (leading) both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.

Do all things without grumbling and faultfinding and complaining [against God] and questioning and doubting [among yourselves],

That you may show yourselves to be blameless and guileless, innocent and uncontaminated, children of God without blemish (faultless, unrebukable) in the midst of a crooked and wicked generation [spiritually perverted and perverse], among whom you are seen as bright lights (stars or beacons shining out clearly) in the dark world.”

Note: When I think on the work ‘beacons’ used here, I have to remember when I went to Korea, with the first stop at Yokohama, Japan. When we got within probably 50 miles of land, we could see the glow of the rotating light house beacon in the sky, and when you see that you always know that you are close to land and to head that way, but with caution, because the beacon also indicates that there are obstacles such as reefs that can sink a ship, so when we got in close, the captain of our ship, an old hand at seamanship, brought the vessel to a stop and we waited for the harbor pilot to be sent out to take us into the harbor, past the hidden dangers that he knew well. That is what God has called us to be, beacons that not only indicate the area of safety, but also, the place of obstacles and we are to lead those that see us as the bright lights into the safe harbors of God’s love and care.

Here again, we are told that it is God, Who is working the work in us, and the desire and the power, both to will and to work for His good pleasure, and it might better be said, in the context, that His desire is for us to be more so than to do. There is a place that we must go, before we go further, because we have to be of the redeemed before we can even begin the journey to holiness, and that is where we are headed. Turn to Hebrews 13:20-21;

“Now may the God of peace [Who is the Author and the Giver of peace], Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, by the blood [that sealed, ratified] the everlasting agreement (covenant, testament).

Strengthen (complete, perfect) and make you what you ought to be and equip you with everything good that you may carry out His will; [while He Himself] works in you and accomplishes that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ (the Messiah); to Whom be the glory forever and ever (to the ages of ages). Amen (so be it).”

You can see in these verses, two things that were taught in the very first portion of the letter to the Hebrews. First, what God has done for us in the redemption in Christ Jesus. Then, in the second, we have a revelation and a promise of what the God of our redemption will do for us. This is God’s one great desire for us and that is to make us perfect. The word perfect here and in other places in the word implies the removal of all that is wrong, and the supply of all that is lacking. This is God working in us, and it can be read; “God makes you perfect in every good work”.

In commenting on this verse, Andrew Murray said; ‘we are to look to Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, our High Priest and King, Who loves to care for and keep us. Let us remember the blood of the everlasting covenant, in the power of which God raised Him and He entered heaven. That blood is God’s pledge that the covenant, with its promises, will be fulfilled in our hearts. Let us think of God’s bringing Him again from the dead, that our faith and hope might be in God. We know all this in our hearts and we need to also know that it has been imparted to us to build us in our faith in God’s ability to make us into what His desire is, as we submit to His loving care. The God Who perfected Jesus will perfect you too. The God Who has worked out such a perfect Salvation for us, will perfect it in us. We need to open our hearts fresh and new to His desire and let His aim be yours. Say to God that you do desire this above everything. Say with the Son of God, “I am coming to do Your will, O God”. [Heb. 10:9]

This leads to the next question, and that is, in what am I to be perfect? Turn to 2 Cor. 7:1;

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God”.

In the Chapter 6, just before this verse we see the promises that God gives and they are just as valid today as they were then. We were told there that we are the temple of the living God and He said to them and to us, “I will dwell in them” – “I will be their God” – “I will receive them” – “I will be to them a Father”. We are to see here that it was God’s accepting the temple and dwelling there Himself, that made it holy. It is God’s dwelling in us that makes us holy, and that gives us a precious motive and the courage and the power to perfect holiness. We are to follow Jesus in His example in living and if need be in dying also, this is in part the perfecting of holiness.

It is our desire that is after holiness, the tender conscience that longs above everything to discern good and evil, the heart that seeks only and always and fully to know and do the will of God, that marks the perfect. It is the being and not the doing.

I love the last verse of Hebrews 5 and the first verse of Hebrews 6 that I was going to just read without any lead in but that would not be fair to the passage nor to you so lets start at verse 8 and it is a hard passage and even though it was written long ago, it was also written for our sakes as well, and it is not a comfortable word, but a necessary for those seeking holiness in their lives, so get ready;

“Although He was a Son, He learned [active, special] obedience through what He suffered. (testings and trials)

And [His completed experience] making Him perfectly [equipped], He became the Author and Source of eternal salvation to all those who give heed and obey Him,

Being designated and recognized and saluted by God as High Priest after the order (with the rank) of Melchizedek.

Concerning this we have much to say which is hard to explain, since you have become dull in your [spiritual] hearing and sluggish [even slothful in achieving spiritual insight].

For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God’s Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.

For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]!

But solid food is for full grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

Therefore let us go on and get past the elementary stage in the teachings and doctrine of Christ (the Messiah), advancing steadily toward the completeness and perfection (holiness) that belong to spiritual maturity. Let us not again be laying the foundation of repentance and abandonment of dead works (dead formalism) and of the faith [by which you turned] to God.”

The point in the Holy Spirit having me read this entire portion, which I did not particularly want to do, is that we can see that God is after a holy people, a trained people, a prepared people because He knows what lies ahead on the future scene for those that are here just before He comes for His church.

I am sure that there is going to be a change in the church and her structure is going to have to come down in order for God to reconstruct her after His own design. It is His city that Abraham was seeking, the city whose builder and maker is God.

I don’t think that I would get too much of an argument about the fact that the world that we live in is akin to a wilderness, and it is dark out there and the church has, in many ways been duped into fashioning itself after some of the world’s ways, but God is on the job and nothing has taken Him by surprise and we read exciting verses in Isaiah about the “rivers” in the desert; Isaiah 43:18-21

“Remember you not the former things, neither consider the things of old, Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and RIVERS IN THE DESERT. The beast of the field shall honor Me, the dragons and the owls; because I GIVE WATERS IN THE WILDERNESS, AND RIVER IN THE DESERT, to give drink to my people, my chosen. This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth my praise.

We are the church, and we are that church without walls, not the one that is organized and structured. We are those who have gone outside the walls with Jesus, bearing His reproach. (Heb. 13:12-13). Zechariah 2:5 speaks of the only wall the church should have and that is; “For I, says the Lord, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and I will be the glory in the midst of her.” The only wall about God’s true church. We have only One Name in Authority, “Jesus”, and only one title, “Christian”, and follow no leading but the leading of the Spirit of God. Not other voice attracts us but the voice of the Shepherd, [John 10:3-5]. We are joined to no one or no thing but only to Him, because It’s All, and Only About Him. Paul declared it best in 1 Cor. 6:17 when he wrote; “But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.”

We, this church, have been bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20); “Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own. You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.”

How is all this to come about? Let me read you a portion written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the hand of another brother;

“Let us go on to know Christ perfectly, to live entirely by His heavenly life.” Now that He is perfected, we are to wholly follow His earthly life, and the path in which He reached perfection. Union with Christ in heaven will mean likeness to Christ on earth in that lamblike meekness and humility in which He suffered and was tried, in that Sonlike obedience through which He entered glory. Brethren, leaving the first principles, let us go on to perfection.

“For by one offering He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified” [Heb 10:14].

One more verse to close and this is the final one for today and it is the way that those chosen out of the furnace of affliction come to His perfection, through all the daily encounters that we have and respond too properly.

“But the God of all grace, Who has called us into His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you suffered a while, shall Himself perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. To Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen”

All I can add is study your notes, there is much in this lesson that I have to go over and over to learn more and more. I have found out something that I think on often about learning and receiving. The early gleaning is the juice of the fruit, or the Logos, but the wine, the finished is the Rhema and that is the understanding that I am going for and that is the understanding that is spoken of in Proverbs 4:7; “The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and Godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and Godly Wisdom is the principle thing.] And will all your getting, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).

Go get a sip in the spirit of the Spirit (wine) and soar to the river.

Class! Be Abundantly Blessed!!

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