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August 2001
Part Seven
When we keep our eyes riveted to the activities (negative and positive) of the FLESH, we are looking down into a deep cavern, a bottomless pit, of death and destruction. But when we look up and keep our eyes transfixed on the activities of the SPIRIT, we are beholding an endless eternity of Life and Peace and the resurrection, redemption and restoration of all creation (including us)! It is enslaving, fleshly fears that make us watchmen of the flesh instead of watchmen of the spirit!! We miss so much while we remain in bondage to our flesh. Glorious Miracles are in abundance all around us, yet we see nothing but the fading glory of this world! Did Jesus die in vain? Was His unrivaled act of selfless love to no avail? Do we fully understand what Christ did at Gethsemane, Gabbatha and Golgotha? He systematically deposed, dismantled and destroyed all devilish power that held His beautiful creation in the evil grip of death ever since the fall of the Garden of Eden! More than once Jesus Christ identifies Himself in Scripture as “LIFE”; so that must mean Satan is “DEATH”! Now if we carry that information one step further and remember that Ro 8:6 defines “DEATH as being carnally-minded; and LIFE as being Spirit-minded; we can say therefore that:
“L-I-F-E SLEW D-E-A-T-H UPON THE CROSS!”
But Jesus Christ was not just any Life, He said He was RESURRECTION LIFE, which meant He was guaranteed a Reemergence from the very Death to which He surrendered Himself. He knew He had the Power to lay down His Life and Power to take that Life up again! (Jn 10:18) And as Jesus’s adopted sonship-brethren, we will also have that same Power; so we need not fear to “Love not our lives even unto the death!” (Rev 12:11) What most believers do not understand is we were all a part of the Essence of God before He created us as earthly beings!! And because we were members of His LAMB WHO WAS SLAIN FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD,, WE ALREADY LAID DOWN OUR LIVES AND DIED AT THE MOMENT OF OUR BIRTH!!
Of course, being subjected to Death lost us the necessary Resurrection Power to raise us up again, so now we are awaiting the resurgence of that Power! And when it comes, we shall have no need to be in bondage to fear of death ever again. We will foreknow, as did Christ, if we are to die or not; and if we must face that dark hour, we will do so with humility, reverence and Joy unspeakable just as did the Pattern Son! For it will be HIS LIFE in us that will carry us over that Jordan experience!
“When we pass through those waters, He shall be with us; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow us; when we walk through the fire, we will not be burned; neither shall it kindle upon us; for He is the Lord our God, the Holy One of Israel, our Savior!” (Isa 43:2) That is why Jesus tells His people repeatedly, “He that believes in Me, shall not perish but have Everlasting Life!” For, “I am the Resurrection and the life; so he that believes in Me, though He were dead (in his sins), yet shall he live! Furthermore, whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die! Do you believe this?” (Jn 3:15-16; 11:25-26)
Jesus endured all that He endured for one holy purpose, HIS LOVE FOR US! So likewise we should only be enduring all we must endure for one holy purpose, OUR LOVE FOR HIM! If this is not the case, we are suffering in vain! But if this is the case, we have no basis for complaints, resentments or grumblings about our trials! Instead, we should be singing with Paul, “WE GLORY IN TRIBULATION, for we know tribulation brings patience (the fruit of long-suffering); patience brings experience; experience brings Hope; Hope removes the shame of our nakedness; so the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts!” (Ro 5:3-5) Finally, brethren, let us remember that:
whatever we give away of the FLESH, is thereby diminished;
whereas
whatever we give away of the SPIRIT, is thereby increased!!
If we are going to partake of any life, let it please be no more the death-life of flesh; but the Eternal Life of Spirit! The end of our race is fast-approaching, let us not buckle under now. Rather,
LET US PRESS ONWARD!!
Amen and Amen!
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