Spirit

Post 171

We have been warned against allowing our heart to lead us due to its deceitful nature. And because it cannot know the destination it must be guided with the reins of the will.
Neither can we expect a good outcome if we are led by the erratic and fickle emotions of our soul which are not actually found in the heart. *3
We have also been warned against the ability of our intellect to keep us from finding God’s rest, as it can only use the information it has collected, and can only assimilate that information with the methods of which we provided, right or wrong, to motivate us to act.
Therefore the will is also limited in its scope, and can only “be determined”. It must have another element; an emotion, a thought, or a longing, to instruct just what is to be determined.

So we see that these elements are quite dangerous and corruptible and lacking what is necessary to ensure our successful arrival into God’s rest.
Yet is it clear that we are directed to incorporate these elements as tools in finding that rest;
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.” Mark 12:30 *1

Therefore, thinking to be obedient, many Christians choose to combine the guidance of all these elements in hopes of a more balanced and successful result.
But the problem is that in applying each element as an equal authority in a collective, we find that we cannot hold any one of them accountable for error because we have given it equal authority status, and so the result is spiritual schizophrenia *2 as each element desires a different course. This is spiritual democracy at its finest, and is just as unsuccessful as a political democracy in leading to anywhere but captivity and ruin!

Similar to the heart’s inability to lead us to the intended destination because it cannot know the way, we see that the intellect simply collects knowledge and then uses it to cause action by the force of will.
There are many religions in the world, which by the will directs the practicer into diligent acts of work; some to acts of murder, others to acts of self-sacrifice, both with intent to earn the prize. Doing to achieve, is the nature of the will.
Therefore the intellect cannot guide us to the intended destination because the intellect’s nature is only to cause works.
Clearly our LORD has shown us that we are not saved by works, otherwise we could boast that we have earned our salvation. “ Not by works of righteousness which we have done,…” Titus 3:5a “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:9

So we see that;
We cannot be obedient enough to please God by force of will, “…All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…” Isaiah 64:6
We cannot become smart enough to impress God with our intellect, “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?” Romans 11:33-34
We cannot presume to honor God with the emotions of our soul. “But the soul that doeth ought presumptuously, whether he be born in the land, or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD;…” Numbers 15:30
We cannot choose to love God from our heart enough to warm his toward us, because God already loved us enough to send his son even while we were yet sinners!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever beleiveth on him, should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Now the remainder of the last passage, and in fact the whole chapter of Romans 5, reminds us that we are not in this post discussing our salvation, BUT SOMETHING MORE:
“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, MUCH MORE, BEING RECONCILED, WE SHALL BE SAVED BY HIS LIFE.” Romans 5:9-10
The topic is not the salvation from the old life, but the justification of the new one!
“Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” Romans 4:25
Clearly our salvation is secure in our surrender to Christ, accepting his sacrifice as our payment of debt. What we have been discussing now for several posts is going on into maturity, to find His rest; that reconciled state by his life in resurrection not in the perpetual memory of his death!
But how to do that. That is the question that seems to elude an answer!

This seems like another dichotomy just as that of law vs. grace, a conundrum that resists solving… but we have already now touched on the solution!

What else besides our mind, heart, emotions and will, is available for us to use that can guide us correctly to that rest our God recommends?

There is the Spirit.

* * *

But the spirit is a hard thing to understand, as it is not available for us to manipulate like the elements of our heart, soul, (5590 emotions *3) mind, and will. (strength)

God gives us a word picture to understand how the Spirit operates in our being.
He likens the spirit to alcohol.
“And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” Ephesians 5:18

Lets break this down a bit to examine the intent;
First, the spirit here is capital “S” meaning the Holy Spirit; One part of the singular triune God.
Now without taking a side trail, we know there is the spirit of man, demonic spirits, spirits of God, and the Holy Spirit… and there is the spirits of substances such as alcohol.
Therefore we must be sure to avoid being filled with all other spirits, so that we can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

This verse is directing us not to be intoxicated (filled) with alcoholic spirits, because that is where excess is found.
This has great significance and meaning, not the least is the meaning that “but be filled with the Spirit” tells us there is no excess found in the Holy Spirit.
This is why we can be confident that the spiritual intoxication of excess found in the “slain in the spirit” movement is not of the Holy Spirit.
The humiliating barking chicken rolling around on the floor of the church is not in the character of God’s Spirit, but is indeed a spirit. A spirit of Hell.
There is no such excess found even when utterly filled with the Spirit of God.
Such a filling of God results in greater wisdom, greater understanding, greater reason, greater love, not less, not foolishness, not shameful conduct, not drunkenness. This is why the verse is worded as it is.

But this verse does liken being filled with the Spirit to the affects of alcohol. Why?
Because both of them are influences outside of our own being which cannot be manipulated by us. They both affect our heart, mind, emotion, and will, and as long as it remains in us as an influence, both cannot be overcome by our mind, heart, emotions or will, we have given them preeminent power for as long as it remains. One for good, the other for evil. Yet like alcohol, the power diminishes over time and must be regularly renewed to continue the effect.

So how are we to understand this comparison?

* * *

We are all familiar with close friends who have one personality, and mind, and heart, and emotion when they are sober, and then we see how those elements change when they take on alcohol. The more alcohol the greater the change in them.
Yet they are still “them”. It is still their mind, heart, emotion and will, but clearly those elements are functioning very differently.
There is another force that is affecting how those elements operate, and therefore the conclusions to which they arrive.
This is the image of how the Spirit also affects us.
But with alcohol is excess, and with the Spirit there is not.
This scriptural comparative explanation is only showing how the effectual alteration is represented, and not showing the degree or extent to be expected.

* * *
Now expanding on the previous thoughts that collectively or individually, our mind, heart, emotion, and will is incapable of getting us to the desired rest, We are now able to see that the influence of being filled with God’s Spirit will change the way we function.
Unlike alcohol where the influence is to the bad, the influence of God’s Spirit is according to the makers design. We are supposed to run under this influence! How it does that, is similar to how alcohol works.

The Spirit of God gives completely new comprehension to our mind, It turns the love of our heart, it aligns our emotions and empowers our will. It changes everything about how we operate.
The result is that we become who it was impossible to become!
It is this impossible you that is capable of finding God’s rest!

This is explained in temporal terms of something spiritual;
“And the LORD said unto him, who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD?” Exodus 4:11
God is declaring himself to be the designer and the maker. God is making a point with these “handicapped”, but we, (in our Spiritless condition) are too busy blaming God for the “defect” to see the more important eternal point he is making by their creation!
“and as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.
And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?
Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest (revealed) in him." Jesus just said this man was born blind to explain the works of God.
I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5 *4
Then Jesus healed the man’s blindness to show that he had the power to heal in the temporal world, showing that he possessed the greater power to heal the same problem in the spiritual world. John 9:6-7 The one explains the other.
“And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.” Isaiah 29:18
This is the greater healing! But our simple self-occupied mindframe cannot see beyond the temporal, and we curse God for making the handicapped.
“But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off…” II Peter 1:9
What things?
The explanation would take several more blogs! *5

“Hear ye deaf; and look ye blind, that ye may see.
Who is blind, but my servant? Or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’s servant?” Isaiah 42:18-19
What in the world does this actually mean?

Ignore for a second that this is Old Testament. And ask yourself;
Who is God’s blind servant here?
Who is God’s deaf messenger in this passage?
Who is perfect and yet blind but still the servant of God?

Now keeping these questions in mind, lets go on;
“Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.
The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” Isaiah 42:20-21
Clearly somebody here has at least part of God’s purpose but missing the rest. And the LORD is pleased? But not for the blindness of his servant, but for the sake of His righteousnesses; and for this cause he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.

The law was obviously dishonorable before He could make it honorable, and apparently it’s dishonor turning to honor has something to do with his blind and deaf servants.

So when did the law become dishonorable? Since the Grace of God was provided through the sacrifice of our Savior.
And now we are getting closer to figuring out just who these blind and deaf servants of God are;

“But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.” Isaiah 42:22
Whew, there for a second it was looking like the Christians who were being accused, but this verse seems to be pointing again to the Jews.

“Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?
Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.” Isaiah 42:23-25

Wait. The fate of Jacob and Israel in this passage are past tense. But the people in the previous verse sure appear to be present, or at least future tense! And what is this bit about “who will hearken and hear FOR THE TIME TO COME”?

Because this is Old Testament, we automatically assume this is speaking to Israel. But clearly Israel here is used as the example of warning to someone else in a later time! How can we not see that the writer here in the Old Testament is talking directly to us Christians today?! This warning is easily perhaps to America! This warning is to YOU!

Look at the past 2000 years of Israel’s horrible fate as a warning! because v. 22 is telling us the Christians; the blind and deaf servants and messengers of God, that we are about to suffer a similar fate for very much the same reasons!
Read that verse again with today's blind Christian in mind.

So what is the message we are to give? What is the service we are to offer? What perfection do we have while we are yet blind?

It is found in Romans 11:1-32
We are to be the messengers of Grace unto the Jews, but we are blind and deaf!
And yet having remained blind to God’s rest, and deaf to his message, we are none the less perfected in salvation, if we remain in his goodness. (verse 22)

* * *
But don’t take this warning as personal fate!
Use it to prompt your serious and immediate concern to avoid it, and get serious with your maker while there is a little time left!
Not in the effort to reform your life, but to become intimate with God, purpose to get to know your maker on a level you have never known! Seek the personal knowledge of who God is, not the knowledge about Him that comes by reading the scriptures without the influence of the Spirit.

When the scriptures become dry, when you have nothing but your mind to interpret what you read, be afraid.
Because without the altering influence of God’s Spirit, your mind, and heart, and emotions can correctly and logically conclude… what is completely wrong!
At this point, more study is not the answer! Seeking God himself is.
Jesus was “sleeping” in the boat, just waiting for the disciples to ask for his aid, all the while with perhaps one eye open watching as they struggled to unsuccessfully apply what they knew.

We can use his word to learn about his ways, while he is sleeping.
Or we can ask him to cause his word to make us know him.

Learn by practice the wisdom to distinguish the difference.
And acquire an appetite for the Spirit which can change everything about the way you work!
Only under the influence of the Spirit, can our mind and heart and emotions and will, function the way they were designed, and come to the desired destination!

The secret to this is to choose to love God to the comparative exclusion of everything else. In otherwords make him far greater than what comes in second.
“He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:37
How much less worthy is he who loves his TV more than God? Or his hobby, or his...

* * * * * * *
*1 Note the same passage written in Matthew 22:37 written to the Jews, leaves out the strength. Why?

*2 schizophrenia; from schizo- + phren.
Schizo- ; Greek; to cleave, split. A combining form denoting division or cleavage.
Phren; Greek; mind, heart.
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary 5th edition 1948

*3 soul 5590 caar; a primary root; to rush upon; by implication to toss (trans. or intrans. literally or figuratively)

*4 Rabbit Trail: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:1-5
This passage is speaking of the evil days that will overwhelm the Truth.
The days when “Truth is fallen in the streets”
“And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” Isaiah 59:14
I am still trying to finish Revelation 17 regarding these dark day now coming upon us, but these interim posts are far more important now, in the final days of preparation.
Since Jesus dwells within the believer, he cannot leave the world as long as we remain, but he told us in the passage that darkness is coming, and he is the light.
Therefore this passage is telling us of the rapture soon to come, when Jesus will be removed from the earth in the removal of all his believers, and darkness will fully fall.

My concern is for the darkening days before that event.
Remember Jesus was still on the earth in his believers when the holocaust happened.
The early Christians were fed to the lions, burned at the stake, and even today tormented and killed for being Christian. Yet these are darkening days while the light still remains in the earth.
Oh how dark those days will be once we are gone!

*5 II Peter 1:1-9 the great concoction of fruitfulness!
I cannot encourage you enough to read, then re-read, then ingest, then practice, then re-read and analyze that practice, then read again the first 9 verses of II Peter! Wow is that some good stuff!
v. 9 tells us he that lacks the previous things is blind.
v. 8 tells us those things will make you fruitful in the knowledge of Jesus Christ.
v. 5-7 tells us what things.
v. 4b tells us of other things that make us partakers of the divine nature (which I am here talking about) that leads to those things. and with this nature we can escape corruption.
But v.4a tells us it is still something else that gives us this exceeding great and precious promise of divine nature.
v.3c tells us it is through the knowledge of God that calls us to glory and virtue and that it is this glory and virtue that gives us the promise.
But v.3b tells us it is the gift of all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through which this glory and virtue that gives us the promise of the divine nation, is found.
But v.3a tells us it is God’s divine power that has given us this gift of all things that pertain unto life and godliness...
And finally, v. 2b tells us it is through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, under the nature of God’s divine power that gives this to us.
And through this knowledge comes grace and peace which is multiplied as we increase in this knowledge.

That is the short version. You want someplace to start? Start digging into this incredible blend of relational elements that result in finding God’s rest!
And do it quick, the night is now falling upon us!
*