Post by Zac Loh on Nov 20, 2007 8:24:40 GMT -5
YOU CAN overcome.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)
This message is about the overcoming Christian life. It is to be like Jesus. It is to be a witness to this world by our very life. It is to serve God with spiritual power and authority.
Living the overcoming Christian life is a combination of abiding by the supernatural realm of God’s grace and making the everyday hard decision.
UNLOCKING ROMANS 3 - 8
To understand the overcoming Christian life, we have to understand Romans chapters 6 to 8 as our foundation. To find the proper context of Romans chapters 6 to 8; we have to investigate and understand the bigger picture i.e. Romans chapters 3 to 8.
The understanding of Romans chapters 3 to 8 boils down to one keyword: faith. As far as faith is concerned, the contents of Romans chapters 3 to 8 can be divided into two sections: Romans chapters 3 to 5 & Romans chapters 6 to 8.
Romans 3 - 5
The contents of Romans chapters 3 to 5 are about faith: to be justified by God, to be righteous with God and to have God’s eternal life.
In other words, it is about faith to enter into a relationship with God and to enjoy His salvation.
Romans 6 to 8
The contents of Romans chapters 6 to 8 are about faith: to overcome sin, to overcome suffering and to overcome persecution.
In other words, it is about faith to walk with God in His holiness, and to be an over-comer.
“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.?(Revelation 2:7b)
“He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.? (Revelation 2:11b)
DISSECTING ROMANS 6 - 8
There are three applications of faith which we need to be an over-comer:
A. Faith in Action.
B. Faith in Affirmation.
C. Faith in Identification.
A. FAITH IN ACTION
This is faith in proactive action and preventive action.
FAITH TO PRESENT YOUR BODY TO BE INTIMATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:13-16; underline mine)
The Bible Greek word for present of the above scripture is `par-is-tay-mee? We can derive four basic points from this original meaning.
a. `to place beside or near
We come before God in prayer, to present our body to Him.
b. `to place a person or thing at one’s disposal
We give our body to God for His usage and service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:1-8)
c. `to present a person for another to see and question’
We consecrated our body to God. To consecrate is to set apart as sacred. We continually ask the Holy Spirit to check us because our body now belongs to Him.
We ask the Holy Spirit: “Holy Spirit, is my body totally belong to you now? Please check me and find if there is any area which is not right. Please show me exactly, pinpoint to me, the areas of my body.?
d. `to bring into one’s fellowship and intimacy’
This is when we fellowship with the Holy Spirit with our body. Our body becomes His temple. It is a shared domain.
The Holy Spirit prefers to fellowship from within us, rather than from the without. This is a very important truth, that you and I should take notice of.
It is divine and rewarding to be intimate with the Holy Spirit. He fills our soul and body. And we communicate from within. The Holy Spirit does fellowship with us from the outside. But He is looking more towards being a residence. We have a shared life. His first choice has always been fellowshipping with us from within. This is when intimacy begins.
FAITH TO DIE TO SIN AND FLEE FROM SIN
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
Do not respond to sin. Die to sin.
The word `continue?in the original means `to stay over, remain, persevere, abide, continue, tarry.?
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18; underline mine)
Usually it’s never our intention to sin when we are in a sinning situation or compromising condition. But there is an erosion of our spiritual strength, piece by piece sliding away, bit by bit chipping-off. Temptations hit us, and we find ourselves drifting, and then swaying. Contemplation to sin became great.
When we are overwhelmed, it’s time to employ a temporary strategic retreat. We should not stay. We should flee. We should go into a defensive bunker by leaving something or someplace, by cutting-down some activity, and by depriving ourselves of some common pleasures.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
One of the root meanings of the original Bible Greek word for `walk?in the above scripture implies the idea of `pierce, through, across, beyond, further.?The question is, how can we walk according to the spirit being/person within us? How can our spiritual walk pierce through, across, beyond - the embodiment, the domain, of our flesh? How can we break through, go beyond, our flesh ?and spiritually walk?
The word `capsule?if often used for a small soluble container that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin. In general, `encapsulation?is defined as the inclusion of one thing within another thing so that the included thing is not apparent. Decapsulation is the removal or the making apparent of a thing previously encapsulated. So then, how can we decapsulate, so that our spirit being will emerge walking? How can the new man in Christ take over and take control?
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)
The `placenta?is a temporary organ present only in female during pregnancy. The placenta is composed of two parts, one of which is genetically and biologically part of the baby, the other part of the mother. It is implanted in the wall of the womb, where it received nutrients and oxygen from the mother’s blood and passes out waste. This interface forms a barrier which filters out some substances which could harm the baby. Should we take the mother as the metaphor for the spirit of this world, then the placenta is the medium of which the spirit of this world takes hold of our flesh and feeds our flesh. The placenta could mean human interactions, media exposures, activities and etc.
The placenta is connected to the baby via the `umbilical cord? So then, the umbilical cord must be our ties and attachment to the placenta of this world.
After the spiritual baby is delivered, the spiritual placenta is delivered afterwards which is called the `afterbirth? We are spiritually `born again?whereby we have a new spirit person inside of us. Hence, now, we ought to be concerned with our spiritual `afterbirth?
After the delivery of the placenta the umbilical cord is usually clamped and cut or may be left attached to fall off naturally.
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
To some of us, we ought to cut the umbilical cord in a particular weakness that we have. We ought to cut our chronic, habitual, utter - dependence on the fellowship, entertainment, preoccupation of this world ?which feed this weakness.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
It is a fine line, a delicate matter. How can we cut-off completely and remain functional in this society? How can we be a hermit and be a witness for Christ in this lost world? It is a tough balancing act especially in a fluid situation.
I believe we need to please God more than we need to please men. We need to pacify God more than we need to pacify men. We need to love God more than we need to love men. What if we save the whole world and lose our own soul? How can we be the true light when we continue to be in the state of sinning? Our good works must be done in the character of holiness.
B. FAITH IN AFFIRMATION
This is faith of acceptance of fact and finality.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11; underline mine)
This is faith taking it. Consider it done! Consider that what took place two thousand years ago through Jesus has happened to you. Walk in it! Live it out!
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,?we also believe and therefore speak, (2 Corinthians 4:13)
C. FAITH IN IDENTIFICATION
This is faith of virtual identification.
An Excerpt Of The Article Entitled `The Cross Of Christ?Written By Bobby Conner
The warm sunlight was softly spilling through the window into my study as I forced my attention away from the sweet spring day. Struggling to overcome the seduction to flee into the open spaces to enjoy the outdoors. Sitting there, I brought my focus back to the open Bible and an all-too-clean note pad, resting on the desk. The task before was to get ready to share the message of the Cross of Christ. I was in the process of preparing preaching notes on this important subject. In my thirty-plus years of preaching, I had spoken on this subject many times. However at this point I deeply desired something much fresher, but I was not prepared for what was about to happen. My tranquil setting was about to change in a radical way. Little did I know that I was about to experience one of the most breath-taking encounters of my entire life.
Pushing the chair forward, getting closer to the Scriptures and notepaper, I prayed, asking the Spirit of God to make the message of the cross real to me. I wanted the cross to be more than a mere message—merely a bunch of words. I longed for people to hear the Words of Life. I desired the message to be something powerful that would transform our lives. So I began my prayer from a sincere, hungry heart. Asking the Spirit of Truth to reveal the message in a clear powerful way.
Suddenly, without warning, faster than the speed of light, I was no longer sitting comfortably at my study. The Spirit of God was transporting me through time and space. As Paul stated in the Scriptures, if I was in the body or out of the body I do not know (see 2 Corinthians 12:2). Almost immediately I found myself in the busy streets of Jerusalem. I could hear the sounds of a massive mob of people. I could feel an evil excitement in the air that made my spirit extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to flee yet at the same time, there was a deep longing within my soul to see what was unfolding before me.
I was standing in a great crowd of people. Looking into their faces, I noted that some were filled with sincere sadness, while others with their eyes glazed with a madness and their faces contorted with an evil grin. Stunned and shocked by these events, I could not understand the speed with which I had been transported to this place. The next thing I knew, I was shoved aside by a huge Roman soldier, who cursed at me and yelled, “Get out of the way!?Then my attention was directed and my eyes beheld and I saw what the crowd had been waiting for: Jesus bearing His cross.
I could not believe my eyes, a sudden shutter ran through my entire body! Never had I seen such a terrible sight. His entire face was covered with clotted, dried blood from wounds caused by a crown of thorns, which appeared more like razor-sharp spikes which had been driven deep into His head. With each beat of His heart, dark crimson red blood would spurt between the spikes and thorns, flowing down His forehead and into His eyes. Trembling I watched as the scarlet blood then dripped from His face onto His chest, and slowly spattered upon the dusty street. It seemed as though the earth cried out as the blood of Christ ran into the cracks in the stone street.
Watching in horror and unbelief, my mind was whirling. I thought, This can’t be happening! This happened years before. At that moment our eyes met, all the strength departed from my legs I felt my entire body fall with a hard thud against the cobble stones, and I knew without a doubt that my experience was real. Somehow I had been transported to the crucifixion! It was no dream; I was there.
Stunned, I staggered alongside the crowd, too shocked to speak. I watched as Jesus stumbled under the weight of the heavy cross. The gusting winds, which were blowing dust from the street, blew His bloodstained clothes open and I caught a glimpse of the wounds on His back and shoulders. The wounds were dreadfully deep...His flesh torn...gaping....ripped by the severe blows of the Roman scourging whip. I was so astonished at the amount of blood that was flowing from His wounds.
For a long time we made our way up the winding steep rocky path outside the city wall. At long last we came to the top of the Hill of the Skull. The soldiers, being extremely rough, pushed Christ to the ground. As the Lord was thrown hard to the ground, the mob stirred with demonic excitement and exhilaration. Their satanic stimulation aroused an evil whirl of anticipation. However, without any type of resistance or struggle, Christ Jesus stretched out His arms. Submitting to the point of the spike, He despising the shame, and did not recoil from the pain, willingly giving Himself to be affixed to the cross.
The air itself was so thick with the oppressing demon spirits that it was difficult to breathe. The smell of blood and bodily fluids was so strong and overwhelming that I was choked. I smelled the nauseating aroma of liquor or cheap ale coming from the soldiers. I heard the heavy sound of the hammer as it struck the spikes, tearing into His hands and piercing His feet. It seemed as if I was seeing the entire events in slow motion. The cross was roughly lifted up into the hole. Christ’s face reflected the excruciating and unbearable pain. I heard a deep groan come from the Lord’s throat as the entire weight of His body came against the spikes. I will never forget the sickening sounds, sights and smells of this heartbreaking moment. It seemed as if time had stopped. I don’t know how long I was there; it seemed as if countless, agonizing hours passed. I wept until no sound would come from my lips. I wanted to flee far away, yet I wanted to draw closer, no one could explain such a contrast in emotions and feelings.
This was not a place of mercy! Yet the most merciful act in history was being accomplished. I will never forget the paradox of feelings I faced. The sinless and guiltless One was dying as one guilty. The perfect One was being spoiled by the perverse. The wicked had released their hatred upon the wonderful One. The righteous One, ravaged by the cruel cross, was dying for the rebellious.
Lifting my eyes to behold Christ on the cross, the pain upon His face was more than my heart could bear. All the strength again left my legs, and I felt myself thud hard against the ground. Appalled and numb, I struggled to get to my knees, I could taste the taste of blood in my mouth from hitting my lip when I fell. Lifting my eyes again, I forced myself to behold the Lamb of God. I then understood more clearly the meaning of the prophet’s words, “And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him?(Isaiah 53:2). I can testify that His face was more disfigured than any I had ever seen. The flesh had been tattered and torn, since they had ripped the beard from His face. The repeated, vicious blows from the fists of the soldiers had taken their toll on the precious face of our Lord.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
O sacred Head, now wounded - With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded - With thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish - With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish - Which once was bright as morn!
The pain Jesus went through was much more than the cross. It was beyond what any human words could describe. His flesh was a pale blue as He hung suspended between heaven and earth, making atonement for sinners such as me. At that moment I was painfully aware of the horrible sinner I was. The words of this song came flooding into my heart. “When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gains I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.?
I beheld the Lord as He struggled beneath the pain of the cross, and as He lifted His weight in order to gasp for breath and speak these words, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing?(Luke 23:34).
Later, I heard the most horrible cry come from the parched, swollen, bleeding lips of our Lord—a cry that still rings in my ears to this very hour: “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me??(Matthew 27:46). This question came from the very soul of the Son of God. For the very first time in all eternity, the Son and the Father were separated. This was the very first time Christ had ever referred to God as anything other than Father. Why? Because now Christ had become like us; He had taken our sins upon Himself.
The Scriptures state that God is of a purer eye than to look upon sin (see Habakkuk 1:13). So Father God turned His back to His Son, and Christ was forsaken of His Father. This was the pain He had asked to have removed in the garden when He prayed, “Let this cup pass from Me?(Matthew 26:39). He could not bear to think of Himself being abandoned by His Father. At that moment Christ was not dying as a Son, but rather as a sinner (see 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Galatians 3:13). As this happened, His heart was crushed. As the Psalmist prophesied, “My heart is like wax, it has melted within Me?(Psalm 22:14).
Then, with a loud cry, Christ Jesus said, “Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit?(Luke 23:46). His lifeless head fell limp upon His chest. The entire earth was spinning and shaking. There was terrible darkness everywhere. I heard screams coming from the darkness, and suddenly I was aware that the cry was coming from my own lips. I was no longer at the foot of the cross, but back in my office. Yet the cry and scream were still echoing in my ears. My entire body trembled and my heart pounded as realized I had witnessed the drama of the ages.
Mere words can never convey all I experienced during this time. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use my experience to create a burning passion in our souls for a greater relationship with the living Christ.
(Bobby Conner, Eagles View Ministries, www.bobbyconner.org/article-33.htm)
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (Romans 6:5; underline mine)
The Holy Spirit has stored the acts Jesus in memory very much like the computer multimedia technology. The Holy Spirit is able to bring to us the scene of Jesus into our reality, very much like virtual reality. The Holy Spirit opens the window, very much like what you see in the computer screen using Windows software.
But the experiences of the Holy Spirit are spiritual, and they are real.
Make the choice to be `united?with Jesus as you see these scenes in your mind and then it becomes your personal experience in actual reality.
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:6-10)
This body of sin happens because the spirit of this world is upon our body. It is the spirit of this world resting upon our physical body and covering our physical body. Needless to say, our body sins because it is being influenced, and controlled, by the spirit of this world. Virtually and spiritually, the crucifixion of Christ has the power to dislodge the control of the spirit of this world. The spirit of this world is detached from our body. This happens because of faith.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. (1 John 5:4)
This message is about the overcoming Christian life. It is to be like Jesus. It is to be a witness to this world by our very life. It is to serve God with spiritual power and authority.
Living the overcoming Christian life is a combination of abiding by the supernatural realm of God’s grace and making the everyday hard decision.
UNLOCKING ROMANS 3 - 8
To understand the overcoming Christian life, we have to understand Romans chapters 6 to 8 as our foundation. To find the proper context of Romans chapters 6 to 8; we have to investigate and understand the bigger picture i.e. Romans chapters 3 to 8.
The understanding of Romans chapters 3 to 8 boils down to one keyword: faith. As far as faith is concerned, the contents of Romans chapters 3 to 8 can be divided into two sections: Romans chapters 3 to 5 & Romans chapters 6 to 8.
Romans 3 - 5
The contents of Romans chapters 3 to 5 are about faith: to be justified by God, to be righteous with God and to have God’s eternal life.
In other words, it is about faith to enter into a relationship with God and to enjoy His salvation.
Romans 6 to 8
The contents of Romans chapters 6 to 8 are about faith: to overcome sin, to overcome suffering and to overcome persecution.
In other words, it is about faith to walk with God in His holiness, and to be an over-comer.
“To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.?(Revelation 2:7b)
“He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.? (Revelation 2:11b)
DISSECTING ROMANS 6 - 8
There are three applications of faith which we need to be an over-comer:
A. Faith in Action.
B. Faith in Affirmation.
C. Faith in Identification.
A. FAITH IN ACTION
This is faith in proactive action and preventive action.
FAITH TO PRESENT YOUR BODY TO BE INTIMATE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? (Romans 6:13-16; underline mine)
The Bible Greek word for present of the above scripture is `par-is-tay-mee? We can derive four basic points from this original meaning.
a. `to place beside or near
We come before God in prayer, to present our body to Him.
b. `to place a person or thing at one’s disposal
We give our body to God for His usage and service.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:1-8)
c. `to present a person for another to see and question’
We consecrated our body to God. To consecrate is to set apart as sacred. We continually ask the Holy Spirit to check us because our body now belongs to Him.
We ask the Holy Spirit: “Holy Spirit, is my body totally belong to you now? Please check me and find if there is any area which is not right. Please show me exactly, pinpoint to me, the areas of my body.?
d. `to bring into one’s fellowship and intimacy’
This is when we fellowship with the Holy Spirit with our body. Our body becomes His temple. It is a shared domain.
The Holy Spirit prefers to fellowship from within us, rather than from the without. This is a very important truth, that you and I should take notice of.
It is divine and rewarding to be intimate with the Holy Spirit. He fills our soul and body. And we communicate from within. The Holy Spirit does fellowship with us from the outside. But He is looking more towards being a residence. We have a shared life. His first choice has always been fellowshipping with us from within. This is when intimacy begins.
FAITH TO DIE TO SIN AND FLEE FROM SIN
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? (Romans 6:1-2)
Do not respond to sin. Die to sin.
The word `continue?in the original means `to stay over, remain, persevere, abide, continue, tarry.?
Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18; underline mine)
Usually it’s never our intention to sin when we are in a sinning situation or compromising condition. But there is an erosion of our spiritual strength, piece by piece sliding away, bit by bit chipping-off. Temptations hit us, and we find ourselves drifting, and then swaying. Contemplation to sin became great.
When we are overwhelmed, it’s time to employ a temporary strategic retreat. We should not stay. We should flee. We should go into a defensive bunker by leaving something or someplace, by cutting-down some activity, and by depriving ourselves of some common pleasures.
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1)
One of the root meanings of the original Bible Greek word for `walk?in the above scripture implies the idea of `pierce, through, across, beyond, further.?The question is, how can we walk according to the spirit being/person within us? How can our spiritual walk pierce through, across, beyond - the embodiment, the domain, of our flesh? How can we break through, go beyond, our flesh ?and spiritually walk?
The word `capsule?if often used for a small soluble container that encloses a dose of an oral medicine or a vitamin. In general, `encapsulation?is defined as the inclusion of one thing within another thing so that the included thing is not apparent. Decapsulation is the removal or the making apparent of a thing previously encapsulated. So then, how can we decapsulate, so that our spirit being will emerge walking? How can the new man in Christ take over and take control?
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)
The `placenta?is a temporary organ present only in female during pregnancy. The placenta is composed of two parts, one of which is genetically and biologically part of the baby, the other part of the mother. It is implanted in the wall of the womb, where it received nutrients and oxygen from the mother’s blood and passes out waste. This interface forms a barrier which filters out some substances which could harm the baby. Should we take the mother as the metaphor for the spirit of this world, then the placenta is the medium of which the spirit of this world takes hold of our flesh and feeds our flesh. The placenta could mean human interactions, media exposures, activities and etc.
The placenta is connected to the baby via the `umbilical cord? So then, the umbilical cord must be our ties and attachment to the placenta of this world.
After the spiritual baby is delivered, the spiritual placenta is delivered afterwards which is called the `afterbirth? We are spiritually `born again?whereby we have a new spirit person inside of us. Hence, now, we ought to be concerned with our spiritual `afterbirth?
After the delivery of the placenta the umbilical cord is usually clamped and cut or may be left attached to fall off naturally.
If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (Matthew 5:29-30)
To some of us, we ought to cut the umbilical cord in a particular weakness that we have. We ought to cut our chronic, habitual, utter - dependence on the fellowship, entertainment, preoccupation of this world ?which feed this weakness.
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
It is a fine line, a delicate matter. How can we cut-off completely and remain functional in this society? How can we be a hermit and be a witness for Christ in this lost world? It is a tough balancing act especially in a fluid situation.
I believe we need to please God more than we need to please men. We need to pacify God more than we need to pacify men. We need to love God more than we need to love men. What if we save the whole world and lose our own soul? How can we be the true light when we continue to be in the state of sinning? Our good works must be done in the character of holiness.
B. FAITH IN AFFIRMATION
This is faith of acceptance of fact and finality.
Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11; underline mine)
This is faith taking it. Consider it done! Consider that what took place two thousand years ago through Jesus has happened to you. Walk in it! Live it out!
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,?we also believe and therefore speak, (2 Corinthians 4:13)
C. FAITH IN IDENTIFICATION
This is faith of virtual identification.
An Excerpt Of The Article Entitled `The Cross Of Christ?Written By Bobby Conner
The warm sunlight was softly spilling through the window into my study as I forced my attention away from the sweet spring day. Struggling to overcome the seduction to flee into the open spaces to enjoy the outdoors. Sitting there, I brought my focus back to the open Bible and an all-too-clean note pad, resting on the desk. The task before was to get ready to share the message of the Cross of Christ. I was in the process of preparing preaching notes on this important subject. In my thirty-plus years of preaching, I had spoken on this subject many times. However at this point I deeply desired something much fresher, but I was not prepared for what was about to happen. My tranquil setting was about to change in a radical way. Little did I know that I was about to experience one of the most breath-taking encounters of my entire life.
Pushing the chair forward, getting closer to the Scriptures and notepaper, I prayed, asking the Spirit of God to make the message of the cross real to me. I wanted the cross to be more than a mere message—merely a bunch of words. I longed for people to hear the Words of Life. I desired the message to be something powerful that would transform our lives. So I began my prayer from a sincere, hungry heart. Asking the Spirit of Truth to reveal the message in a clear powerful way.
Suddenly, without warning, faster than the speed of light, I was no longer sitting comfortably at my study. The Spirit of God was transporting me through time and space. As Paul stated in the Scriptures, if I was in the body or out of the body I do not know (see 2 Corinthians 12:2). Almost immediately I found myself in the busy streets of Jerusalem. I could hear the sounds of a massive mob of people. I could feel an evil excitement in the air that made my spirit extremely uncomfortable. I wanted to flee yet at the same time, there was a deep longing within my soul to see what was unfolding before me.
I was standing in a great crowd of people. Looking into their faces, I noted that some were filled with sincere sadness, while others with their eyes glazed with a madness and their faces contorted with an evil grin. Stunned and shocked by these events, I could not understand the speed with which I had been transported to this place. The next thing I knew, I was shoved aside by a huge Roman soldier, who cursed at me and yelled, “Get out of the way!?Then my attention was directed and my eyes beheld and I saw what the crowd had been waiting for: Jesus bearing His cross.
I could not believe my eyes, a sudden shutter ran through my entire body! Never had I seen such a terrible sight. His entire face was covered with clotted, dried blood from wounds caused by a crown of thorns, which appeared more like razor-sharp spikes which had been driven deep into His head. With each beat of His heart, dark crimson red blood would spurt between the spikes and thorns, flowing down His forehead and into His eyes. Trembling I watched as the scarlet blood then dripped from His face onto His chest, and slowly spattered upon the dusty street. It seemed as though the earth cried out as the blood of Christ ran into the cracks in the stone street.
Watching in horror and unbelief, my mind was whirling. I thought, This can’t be happening! This happened years before. At that moment our eyes met, all the strength departed from my legs I felt my entire body fall with a hard thud against the cobble stones, and I knew without a doubt that my experience was real. Somehow I had been transported to the crucifixion! It was no dream; I was there.
Stunned, I staggered alongside the crowd, too shocked to speak. I watched as Jesus stumbled under the weight of the heavy cross. The gusting winds, which were blowing dust from the street, blew His bloodstained clothes open and I caught a glimpse of the wounds on His back and shoulders. The wounds were dreadfully deep...His flesh torn...gaping....ripped by the severe blows of the Roman scourging whip. I was so astonished at the amount of blood that was flowing from His wounds.
For a long time we made our way up the winding steep rocky path outside the city wall. At long last we came to the top of the Hill of the Skull. The soldiers, being extremely rough, pushed Christ to the ground. As the Lord was thrown hard to the ground, the mob stirred with demonic excitement and exhilaration. Their satanic stimulation aroused an evil whirl of anticipation. However, without any type of resistance or struggle, Christ Jesus stretched out His arms. Submitting to the point of the spike, He despising the shame, and did not recoil from the pain, willingly giving Himself to be affixed to the cross.
The air itself was so thick with the oppressing demon spirits that it was difficult to breathe. The smell of blood and bodily fluids was so strong and overwhelming that I was choked. I smelled the nauseating aroma of liquor or cheap ale coming from the soldiers. I heard the heavy sound of the hammer as it struck the spikes, tearing into His hands and piercing His feet. It seemed as if I was seeing the entire events in slow motion. The cross was roughly lifted up into the hole. Christ’s face reflected the excruciating and unbearable pain. I heard a deep groan come from the Lord’s throat as the entire weight of His body came against the spikes. I will never forget the sickening sounds, sights and smells of this heartbreaking moment. It seemed as if time had stopped. I don’t know how long I was there; it seemed as if countless, agonizing hours passed. I wept until no sound would come from my lips. I wanted to flee far away, yet I wanted to draw closer, no one could explain such a contrast in emotions and feelings.
This was not a place of mercy! Yet the most merciful act in history was being accomplished. I will never forget the paradox of feelings I faced. The sinless and guiltless One was dying as one guilty. The perfect One was being spoiled by the perverse. The wicked had released their hatred upon the wonderful One. The righteous One, ravaged by the cruel cross, was dying for the rebellious.
Lifting my eyes to behold Christ on the cross, the pain upon His face was more than my heart could bear. All the strength again left my legs, and I felt myself thud hard against the ground. Appalled and numb, I struggled to get to my knees, I could taste the taste of blood in my mouth from hitting my lip when I fell. Lifting my eyes again, I forced myself to behold the Lamb of God. I then understood more clearly the meaning of the prophet’s words, “And when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him?(Isaiah 53:2). I can testify that His face was more disfigured than any I had ever seen. The flesh had been tattered and torn, since they had ripped the beard from His face. The repeated, vicious blows from the fists of the soldiers had taken their toll on the precious face of our Lord.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
O sacred Head, now wounded - With grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded - With thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish - With sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish - Which once was bright as morn!
The pain Jesus went through was much more than the cross. It was beyond what any human words could describe. His flesh was a pale blue as He hung suspended between heaven and earth, making atonement for sinners such as me. At that moment I was painfully aware of the horrible sinner I was. The words of this song came flooding into my heart. “When I survey the wondrous Cross on which the Prince of Glory died, my richest gains I count but loss and pour contempt on all my pride.?
I beheld the Lord as He struggled beneath the pain of the cross, and as He lifted His weight in order to gasp for breath and speak these words, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing?(Luke 23:34).
Later, I heard the most horrible cry come from the parched, swollen, bleeding lips of our Lord—a cry that still rings in my ears to this very hour: “My God! My God! Why have You forsaken Me??(Matthew 27:46). This question came from the very soul of the Son of God. For the very first time in all eternity, the Son and the Father were separated. This was the very first time Christ had ever referred to God as anything other than Father. Why? Because now Christ had become like us; He had taken our sins upon Himself.
The Scriptures state that God is of a purer eye than to look upon sin (see Habakkuk 1:13). So Father God turned His back to His Son, and Christ was forsaken of His Father. This was the pain He had asked to have removed in the garden when He prayed, “Let this cup pass from Me?(Matthew 26:39). He could not bear to think of Himself being abandoned by His Father. At that moment Christ was not dying as a Son, but rather as a sinner (see 2 Corinthians 5:21 and Galatians 3:13). As this happened, His heart was crushed. As the Psalmist prophesied, “My heart is like wax, it has melted within Me?(Psalm 22:14).
Then, with a loud cry, Christ Jesus said, “Father into Your hands I commit My Spirit?(Luke 23:46). His lifeless head fell limp upon His chest. The entire earth was spinning and shaking. There was terrible darkness everywhere. I heard screams coming from the darkness, and suddenly I was aware that the cry was coming from my own lips. I was no longer at the foot of the cross, but back in my office. Yet the cry and scream were still echoing in my ears. My entire body trembled and my heart pounded as realized I had witnessed the drama of the ages.
Mere words can never convey all I experienced during this time. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use my experience to create a burning passion in our souls for a greater relationship with the living Christ.
(Bobby Conner, Eagles View Ministries, www.bobbyconner.org/article-33.htm)
For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, (Romans 6:5; underline mine)
The Holy Spirit has stored the acts Jesus in memory very much like the computer multimedia technology. The Holy Spirit is able to bring to us the scene of Jesus into our reality, very much like virtual reality. The Holy Spirit opens the window, very much like what you see in the computer screen using Windows software.
But the experiences of the Holy Spirit are spiritual, and they are real.
Make the choice to be `united?with Jesus as you see these scenes in your mind and then it becomes your personal experience in actual reality.
knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. (Romans 6:6-10)
This body of sin happens because the spirit of this world is upon our body. It is the spirit of this world resting upon our physical body and covering our physical body. Needless to say, our body sins because it is being influenced, and controlled, by the spirit of this world. Virtually and spiritually, the crucifixion of Christ has the power to dislodge the control of the spirit of this world. The spirit of this world is detached from our body. This happens because of faith.