But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another." (Galatians 5:22-26).
The foregoing and opening passages of this message bring to light and summarizes the necessity to keep our love for one another in check. Thus, let us cease not to lose sight of GOD'S motivation for HIS creation of humankind: "LOVE". Now, to embellish on this glorious and truly transcendent and everlasting love endowed by our Creator, Sustainer and Judge, I allude to the truth of His eternal Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1:1-5).
In various instances, many of us have heard, seen or used the expression: “The Word of God”. Jesus Christ is the revelation of Almighty God. I have also heard it expressed as the “Repository of Redemptive Revelation”. We must ensure that both contextually and biblically, our interpretation and communication of these words remain consistent with how they are defined and utilized in the Scripture.
That being said, I’d like to pursue this notion further, and while exercising care and caution in the development of this corresponding narrative. If the truth be told, this becomes no more or no less than a question of life or death: “And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations: and He shall rule them with a rod of iron: and He treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.“ (Revelation 19:13-16).
His arrival on the scene in the first advent saw Him as a “suffering servant” and the supreme sacrifice for the sins of the world. However, in the second advent He will arrive in the force and authority, as He metes out justice and judgment, of a “Conquering King”. Based on what we’ve just alluded to, in “name”, the “Word” is Jesus Christ. However, in terms of “work or function” the “Word” is the Spirit or Holy Ghost, Comforter, One called along side to Help, Counselor or Advocate. These terms are used synonymously, or they are interchangeable from a practical perspective. As I made reference to in a previous blog publication, the words of Jesus confirm this: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6: 63). In other words, Jesus is the embodiment of "The Word of God": "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1).
Jesus announced that it was compulsory that He returned to God the Father (His ascension). Otherwise, the Holy Ghost would not become a realization in their lives: "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (John 16:7). Additionally, He also expressed that the indwelling Spirit would inspire "Greater" works, by causing us to see or understand truth. Hence, the Bible uses the term illumination which, among other things, enables us to fortify our faith, grow in grace, develop our spiritual appetites and while progressively stimulating our spiritual maturation.
Inclusive are reproof, conviction, and causing one to see or understand truth with respect to sin, righteousness and judgment. The Agency of the Spirit prompts us to recognize and realize that we are products of the ravages and ruin of sin. Furthermore, that truth will bring us to a place of genuinely and earnestly humbling our hearts and repenting of our sins. We will then remain sensitive to any evidence of sin that subsequently infiltrates (by whatever vehicle) our hearts. As followers of Christ, we must then deal with unrepented sin forthwith. Proverbs, the Book of Wisdom, substantiates that fact: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesses and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28:13).
More specifically, the "Greater" works Jesus spoke of did not mean greater in significance, but greater in scope: the Spirit possesses the power to establish, lead and guide the universal church in preaching and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ: "And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you" (John 14:16-17).
One example of greater works that comes to mind are the ministry blogs published on our church website. Another example would be to study of the Word of God, to know the Word of God, to apply the Word of God and then to disseminate or spread the Word of God. In other words, all Christians are tasked with the duty and responsibility of taking the Word of God to the world. This act of faithful obedience is generally known as "The Great Commission": "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20).
Members of the Body of Christ are included in this sphere of influence and work of the ministry as well. What an honor, a privilege and an opportunity bestowed upon Christian folk, and to have been blessed with this unique and magnificent calling! The indwelling of the "Life-giving Spirit" fulfills a vital and life sustaining function in the Church. Thus, without a relationship with God the Father, and through His Son, Jesus Christ, we are NOTHING, we got NOTHING and what we do means NOTHING: “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5).
In terms of righteousness, Christ has returned to God the Father, and in an intercessory role, so that we would then inherit the imputed righteousness that was made available by His atoning work on the cross. This literally accomplishes what’s referred to as reconciliation, whereby we are no longer experiencing alienation nor death by disconnection or separation from God. We have been reconnected or reunited with Him. In other words, we have been granted (not earned it) a restored fellowship or imputed righteousness. In and of ourselves, righteousness is and continues to be elusive: "And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4:22-25).
Such hostility toward God had persisted since the Fall in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-24). Based on our divinely transformed hearts, when God now sees us, He expects to see Jesus indwelling us. Judgment of the "prince of this world", or Satan, is a final declaration of redemption, because the leverage of Lucifer (or Satan) has been eliminated by the death blow dealt him by Christ on the cross. We are now products of emancipation, or new creations in Christ: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17).
One can't possibly separate what one believes from what one does. It becomes a question of one's faith, and via the prompting of the Spirit. Perhaps an elaboration of this spiritual truth would be indicated at this juncture, my beloved ones. First and foremost, the inerrant, infallible and unchanging Word of God unveils this truth in the following passages: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." (Mark 16:16-18).
Spiritual maturity is a necessity and contributes to the peace, unity and harmony that breeds union among the members of the Body of Christ, and communion with God in Christ. This reflects that both our interpersonal and collective relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ are undergoing an ever evolving intimacy. This will guarantee a spirit of oneness in the Body of Christ itself, which serves as its essential ingredients. Thus, God in Christ is both GLORIFIED and MAGNIFIED. As the process of drawing nearer to God in Christ unfolds, God the Father will draw nearer to us: "Draw nigh to God and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded." (James 4:8).
This adds value to our usefulness and effectiveness as ministers of the Gospel of Christ while we exercise our commitment to servanthood. Remember, the work that produces the qualitative features of a transformed life was only achieved via seasons of toil and turmoil, and by virtue of the fact that these spiritual gifts were freely given by "the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2), the Lord Jesus Christ.
And demonstrating a will that is in conformity with what our Lord desires, one is then equipped with the capacity to remain steadfast in their love, and thus in humble submission to the one true God who loves us with an all-consuming love: "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love." (1 John 4:8). The apostle Paul puts it like this: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:28-29). Furthermore, your spiritual fortitude will be enhanced and empowered, and you will begin to realize victory in such circumstances whereby uncertainty, anxiety, instability, irritability, discouragement, strife and weariness would more often than not translate to triumph rather than defeat.
The mission of this troubled, misguided and temporal world, whom Satan is the ruler of, is to make a massive and irreversible mess of your life. Of course, Christ has always had a plan in place to thwart Satan and his minions: “Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.” (John 12:31). Please hear and be encouraged and comforted by the following promise and proclamation of our advocate before God the Father, Jesus Christ: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
In conclusion of this message that unpacked the the spiritual truths that are brought to fruition by the eternal and life-staining Word, we are reminded by the scriptures: "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life; Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (John 6:63; 2 Corinthians 3:17).
And thus, I leave you with a secular example of how a relationship is either in a state of maturation and gradation, or in a state of decline and disintegration. In the movie "Annie Hall", Woody Allen spoke the immortal words: "A relationship, I think, is like a shark, you know? it has to constantly move forward or it dies. And I think what we got on our hands is a dead shark." Paul the apostle brings us to the culmination of this journey: "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6).
"For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." (Isaiah 55:10-12).
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