Don’t you just love it when the Father breathes into you fresh new insight (revelation) of Whose you are, which spills out into a most practical living expression of who you are? God IS spirit and He is seeking those who will worship –relate, engage - Him in spirit and truth.
“The love of God is not created— it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was.” Oswald Chambers
The rich and deeply encouraging freshness contained within the statement above became a spontaneous and overwhelming fire within me.
According to Scripture, everything ‘created’ is going to be shaken, and that includes our physical lives, but the great (good) news is that our life is no longer restricted or confined to this physical condition. I love the thought that we are at our core, spiritual beings, sons of God the Father, having a human experience!
The first people Adam and Eve were “created” beings, made from the dust of the earth when God breathed into them the breath of ‘lives’ making them living souls. Even though God said regarding his culminating achievement, the creation of man, “this is very good,” Adam and Eve were not yet complete. Although they were perfect for where they were at that instant, they remained created beings. It has always been the Father’s intention to have ‘birthed’ sons, not created ones, and that is why the birthing is so imperative. Yet it is shrouded and cloaked with a polluted and commingled alchemy of law and grace.
If we do not know and continue to experience in an ever increasing awareness of Whose we are, then I see Paul’s words being most relevant to us today: “Do not live any longer as the Gentiles live. For they live blindfold in a world of illusion, and cut off from the life of God through ignorance and insensitiveness.” If there was no way possible for us to become alienated, to live in ignorance, cut off from the only true source of life, Christ in us as us, then why would Paul’s warning be relevant?
I find it truly amazing how many who are birthed children of the Father and yet who lack revelation of what it means to be His sons, to be more specific: the nostalgic charming of our souls to somehow recapture the supposed idyllic state of innocence and beauty in the Garden.
Somehow this reeks of ignorance, better yet blindness as to Who it is we have been called. Before I go any further, it is expedient that we understand that this unfolding revelation of Whose we are, is limited to a very narrow caste grouping: “whosoever will”! Without knowing the truth that we are called to BE His, is it any wonder that so many are drawn back (to a Garden) rather then forward into so much that Father God has prepared for us, hidden for us, not from us?
The weariness and depletion that so many of us lug around like millstones weighing us down is proof of not knowing Whose we are. Otherwise, why would Jesus have said, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
It is the Father’s great pleasure to make known to us Whose we are, because it is only out of this living, breathing reality that we are freed to live apart from the crippling tentacles of fear’s chokehold. "For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."
How many of us, like the early followers of Christ, would agree with Jesus that it was extremely critical that He go to be with the Father so that the promise of the Father could be fully realized in a myriad more “sons?”
What most of us do not understand is that the original couple, Adam and Eve, were ‘created’ beings, and that the supposed idyllic relationship lived out of innocence was purely an external connection they had with the Father. They were at that place, perfect for where they were, yet not completed. That completion was available to them as represented in the Tree of Life, had they partaken of it versus the other tree, because, according to Scripture, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit”; that consummation would have completed it all.
Father invites us to live in the reality of Who’s we are verses looking for the proverbial breadcrumb trail leading to some garden.
Is it any wonder why, without too many exceptions, those of us who have been received of the Father right from the beginning of our journey ended up in some kind of religious institutional setting? Main line or low profile – it doesn’t matter.
Prior to being received by God our Father, fear was the only impetus that freely operated within us. Being, according to the Scriptures “translated” out of the kingdom of darkness into the marvelous kingdom of the Father, we received a new spirit that had nothing to do with fear. But, without the Father making known to us and real in us what He had done, we simply inclined unto our natural soulish understanding and moved according to the flesh.
In my opinion, the greatest crippling force operating in fellow siblings is condemnation, even though scriptures plainly state, “Therefore there is now NO more condemnation for those who are IN Christ Jesus.” This fear-filled leaven has produced untold numbers of spiritual quadriplegics. And all condemnation produces unhealthy reactions. Modern psychologists have traced stress, anger, panic attacks and anxiety back to guilt and condemnation.
Father’s intention is never going to change regarding the many sons that have been birthed out of His first born son Jesus Christ. It is His ability alone that can make known to us the truth of Whose we are, and who we are in Him!
Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer: "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth. You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people. Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work." Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen. "Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." It is only out of discovering the spirit of sonship we have freely received of the Father that we can enter into His rest!
So many are consumed with the religion of Christianity, but so very few are remotely even aware of BEING His son, particularly in today’s world.
I love this quote from the site I mentioned in this post on my other blog (read it here), “Christians are primarily led by circumstances - they have a survival mentality. They will do things when they are hurt or rejected or times are tough. Christians will do in the circumstances what suits them best. Sons are not led by circumstances - they are led by the Spirit. That's what sons are. (Romans 8:14); "Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God". It didn't say they are going to be sons one day. If people are led by the Spirit of God then they are sons of God - they are sons! Christians in Christ are going to heaven when they die. There is no question about that. It's not an issue about heaven or hell. If you are in Christ you are going to heaven. But a son is someone who is not led by circumstances - someone who is led by the Holy Spirit.
A son doesn't live in fear. Christians do. Paul writes and says God has not given a spirit to fear again. A few weeks ago that word "again" jumped out at me. I had never seen that word - even though I had read that passage hundreds of times. So I had to ask; "God has not given us a spirit to fear again". What do you mean "again"? When was the first time we feared? The first time we feared was when we saw how severe the law of God is and the judgements of the law of God. When we saw that we felt the fear of divine rejection, we felt the fear that the Father would reject us because we had broken His law, we felt fear of wrath, we felt fear of being abandoned, we felt fear of God's disapproval.
And all condemnation produces stress, anxiety, worry and anger. Modern psychologists have traced all stress, all anger, panic attacks, anxiety - back to guilt and condemnation. The economic downturn in and of itself could not have caused the amount of suicide that is happening in Hong Kong and around the world IF people were taught about being sons because sons have a spirit from the Father in them so they will never fear again.
What's the fear? The fear that the Father will abandon me during the economic downturn - the fear that the Father is not able to supply me with what I need because I am not good enough and I am not holy enough so I will be rejected.
Sons are led by a spirit that will never put them in fear again!
I want to add here even though I’ve said it numerous times before, “It’s a revelation not a seminar!” When I hear someone saying things like this, “Wow, what interesting concepts, or yeah, that’s a cool concept” I know this is someone still living as a Christian and not as a son!! Our son-ship comes about because of a revelation! Jesus said; "No one knows the Son except the Father reveal the Son and no one can know the Father unless the Son choose to reveal the Father".
The following quote simply rocks my world; “Now who does the Son chose to reveal the Father to? The wise and learned? It is His pleasure to hide the revelation of the Father's love from the wise and learned, the arrogant and the self-righteous - those keeping the law. But it's His joy and His pleasure to reveal the love of the Father to those who come down in humility and believe that He has not called you to be a Christian but a son who the Father loves!
(v28); "I choose to reveal the Father to the child-like". So we cry; "Jesus reveal the Father!". How do you do that? The very next verse I am quoting in sequence says; "Come to Me all you that are laiden and heavy-burdened and I will give you rest". What is the revelation of the Father's love? Rest. Why? "I can do nothing without the Father". I am not going to bother trying because I can do nothing without the Father! My yoke is easy and My burden is light!
What I’m about to share here is not mere semantics, if it’s the truth we’re wanting, maybe we need to look at the facts first. Our battle according to the Scriptures has NEVER been about or with flesh and blood.
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
Why do any of us think we have a right to blame the ‘church’ for hurting us when, we are the Church. We of our own volition joined the particular religious clubs we fancied, unknowingly hidden from our sight within our flesh was an ongoing covert veiled enemy doing what he does best, lying to us. In barely knowing the truth apart from our re-born experience, we gladly chose to dive head long into the deep end of the established institutional scene.
There is one that Jesus described whose intent was and is to steal, kill and destroy, could it be that this one called Satan operating through spiritual forces, working through flesh and blood Christians, preachers, and pastors etc, were the agents these spiritual forces were (doing the deceiving) working through in hurting us? The Father knew full well what was going to happen to us in blindly choosing to go a way that seemed to be so right, and also knowing full well the devastation we would all sooner or later encounter.
Pain can be a wonderful but painful sobriety bringing us to a place after we stop blaming everyone else and realize this was allowed only because we choose to go our own way. There is no freedom if we are prevented from having a choice, and so we chose. No body forced us to imbibe in the tainted and polluted waters of the man made cisterns. To continue in the blame game, others or even our selves, is a waste of time.
It takes what it takes to get our attention and in doing so we come to a place of sobriety although most often horribly hurt, we begin to learn of His love for us allowing us to go and do what we did. In refusing to continue in the blame thing, our education can continue which includes all that we have just passed through.
We would have never been brought too see or realize that there is a very real enemy operating within all flesh, including ours, had we not gone off in our own independence. In a heart beat we become His child, but it is over a life time that we become fully mature Sons. That which was purposed for our destruction, Father has intended for our good.
Rich
In learning His Way more often than not we have to go the wrong way first. It is important to realize that apart from His way, the right verses the wrong way might in fact all be the same expression from the tree of the knowledge of “good and evil.”
I liked these quote’s from ‘The Making of a Son’ very much.
“Simple faith in the Lord Jesus Christ enables God to plant the incorruptible seed (1Peter 1:23) in all who believe, and thereby have His divine nature in humanity. This is the new creation, different from anything which has ever before been on the face of the earth. This is not the restoration of Eden. It is much greater! It is an entirely new creation composed of the offspring of God Himself.”
“The Father is interested in making us mature sons, not building up our personal earthly kingdom.”
"Just bringing children to birth is not God’s ultimate intention; His great need is for true sons not simply happy children.”
If knowing answers to life's questions is absolutely necessary to you, then forget the journey. You will never make it, for this is a journey of unknowables - of unanswered questions, enigmas, incomprehensibles, and most of all, things unfair.
We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.
"So maybe when we "congratulate" one another for our brilliant abilities in sharing Life we should refrain and instead say, "I love seeing Jesus being so real thru you!"
Christianity is not about learning to live within the lines; Christianity is about the joy of coloring.
We must see all the brothers and sisters as equals if we are to grasp the reality of Jesus' statement "My Father and Your Father". There are NO junior and senior kindergarten children in the Father's household.
Knowing Christ is a living, spontaneous knowledge. This is not an understanding that you possess so much as it is a knowing that possesses you.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness!
I trust those visiting here will wade out into the waters of the Father's amazing grace, and likewise experience the unfolding reality of His total unconditional acceptance. Upon this unmoveable and secure footing we move on into His higher purposes for our lives.
Sometimes we have to live with some uncertainty and chaos before a new order can take shape.
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