Post by Phil Marriner on Nov 24, 2015 16:07:11 GMT
I. The first measure of Christ is the Light, Christ, that is in all men that come into the world. Everyone also has the Holy Spirit of God, because it was poured out on all mankind at Pentecost, and the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. His Spirit is chained down, subject to your selfish spirit that rules you; you drag him through all your sin and filth throughout your life. This seed of God is waiting to be sought, listened to, and obeyed —which causes growth. From the seed of Christ, which is chained down within a man, Christ must increase, while the rebellious spirit of man decreases —until finally Christ appears within a man, to be seen, to be witnessed, to bring salvation, to bring the Kingdom, to bring glory to the purified believer. This seed, light, or spirit of God is your talent, which must be improved in this life; if you fail to grow it, in the next life the small measure of Christ in you is taken away from you and given to another who has improved their talent, while you are cast into outer darkness as a wicked and unworthy servant, (where in spirit without body or soul you learn the hard way about God vs. man, sin vs. righteousness, love vs. lust, light vs. darkness, obedience vs. rebellion, pride vs. humility). Step I is the seed of God in you, chained down.
II. When we believe the hope of the gospel, we begin to seek God. We may read the Bible to the point we have it memorized, but we are still right where we started, just with more knowledge about him, not of him. We are still in the flesh, still with our carnal minds which are enmity to God, with a faith in the historical accuracy of Jesus' life. Just the belief in his name is enough for us to be able to access the grace of God. But to receive this changing, purifying grace, we must: come to him, listen to him, and obey him. When we hear Him, or see what He shows us, and we obey Him because we believe who is communicating with us to be the Son of God, we have received Christ, and having received Him, we are granted the power or right to become a Son of God. From the Word of the Lord within: "When you are sure that he who is speaking to you is Christ, you have received Him." Now we have laid the sure foundation of faith that will survive the storms to come, (for those determined to live a godly life will meet with persecution.)
III. When he deems you ready, you enter tribulation. This is part of the cross, to destroy the sinful nature within you through suffering.
This produces patience, forgiveness, faith, long-suffering, trust, humility, and even hope; for even pain can be reassuring of his love:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff comfort me, The full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. This is the Ministry of Condemnation that destroys the carnal mind, which is enmity with God for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
: The teachers without exalt the carnal mind, but the teacher within destroys it.
From the word of the Lord within: "Trust him. He will lead you and watch over you continually. He will never leave you."
IV. After you have suffered sufficiently, Christ tests you. Passing the test(s), you receive as reward, the next measure of Christ. This occurs, having put to death the great majority of the sinful nature by aid of the Spirit, until you are led by the Spirit and assured of salvation to come with the Return of Christ. Here we are in Paul's second state of Christ: it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin which is at home in me and has possession of me. And the sin gets less and less as we await the return of Christ in his glory with his Kingdom. This is further discussed as the Interim Reward. This is the step where you are sealed with the Holy Spirit; the earnest deposit of more to come. You will hear him tell you, " an open door that has been placed before you that no one can shut." As you remain obedient to the words you hear Christ speak to you, you will later be led out of darkness to light; the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts.
V. The next step in Christ is when he returns in glory with his Father to establish his Kingdom in your heart; you are translated into his kingdom, (paradise). We reach Paul's third state he describes in Galatians: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. At this stage you are freed from sin, which was Adam's state before he fell. Here you have peace with God and a pure fellowship in the Spirit with your fellow believers, Christ, and the Father. In this state you are like Adam, capable of falling to temptation if you do not watch carefully; but you have power to resist, and when you show your faithfulness, you go beyond the state of Adam to union with Christ and to sit down in Christ, who never fell. (Many of the New Testament letters were written in warning to those freed from sin, but still capable of becoming entangled in sin again.) This is the completion of your salvation — salvation from the world, the evil in the world, sanctification, separation, the state of no longer being capable of falling to temptation. We are with Christ in our consciousness, sight, and awareness.
II. When we believe the hope of the gospel, we begin to seek God. We may read the Bible to the point we have it memorized, but we are still right where we started, just with more knowledge about him, not of him. We are still in the flesh, still with our carnal minds which are enmity to God, with a faith in the historical accuracy of Jesus' life. Just the belief in his name is enough for us to be able to access the grace of God. But to receive this changing, purifying grace, we must: come to him, listen to him, and obey him. When we hear Him, or see what He shows us, and we obey Him because we believe who is communicating with us to be the Son of God, we have received Christ, and having received Him, we are granted the power or right to become a Son of God. From the Word of the Lord within: "When you are sure that he who is speaking to you is Christ, you have received Him." Now we have laid the sure foundation of faith that will survive the storms to come, (for those determined to live a godly life will meet with persecution.)
III. When he deems you ready, you enter tribulation. This is part of the cross, to destroy the sinful nature within you through suffering.
This produces patience, forgiveness, faith, long-suffering, trust, humility, and even hope; for even pain can be reassuring of his love:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff comfort me, The full soul loathes a honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet. This is the Ministry of Condemnation that destroys the carnal mind, which is enmity with God for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
: The teachers without exalt the carnal mind, but the teacher within destroys it.
From the word of the Lord within: "Trust him. He will lead you and watch over you continually. He will never leave you."
IV. After you have suffered sufficiently, Christ tests you. Passing the test(s), you receive as reward, the next measure of Christ. This occurs, having put to death the great majority of the sinful nature by aid of the Spirit, until you are led by the Spirit and assured of salvation to come with the Return of Christ. Here we are in Paul's second state of Christ: it is no longer I who do the deed, but the sin which is at home in me and has possession of me. And the sin gets less and less as we await the return of Christ in his glory with his Kingdom. This is further discussed as the Interim Reward. This is the step where you are sealed with the Holy Spirit; the earnest deposit of more to come. You will hear him tell you, " an open door that has been placed before you that no one can shut." As you remain obedient to the words you hear Christ speak to you, you will later be led out of darkness to light; the Morning Star rises (comes into being) in your hearts.
V. The next step in Christ is when he returns in glory with his Father to establish his Kingdom in your heart; you are translated into his kingdom, (paradise). We reach Paul's third state he describes in Galatians: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. At this stage you are freed from sin, which was Adam's state before he fell. Here you have peace with God and a pure fellowship in the Spirit with your fellow believers, Christ, and the Father. In this state you are like Adam, capable of falling to temptation if you do not watch carefully; but you have power to resist, and when you show your faithfulness, you go beyond the state of Adam to union with Christ and to sit down in Christ, who never fell. (Many of the New Testament letters were written in warning to those freed from sin, but still capable of becoming entangled in sin again.) This is the completion of your salvation — salvation from the world, the evil in the world, sanctification, separation, the state of no longer being capable of falling to temptation. We are with Christ in our consciousness, sight, and awareness.