◄ ►

The Natural Man - Man’s Nature and Destiny (16)

God’s Ultimate Realm

In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son. (Hebrews 1:1,2 NIV)

What was the tragedy of the old Israel? Of course, the tragedy of the old Israel, finally, is their dismissal. Their dismissal: em>The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.That happened! and it stands today. The kingdom of heaven taken away not for that Israel, but for another! The tragedy of Israel is that they are dismissed from the dispensation, or the dispensational movement of God. This has lasted for two thousand years. How many more years we do not know, probably, not so long, but you leave that alone.

Here I am going to upset a lot of you: you leave Israel alone for the time being. You will only get into terrible confusion if you get down on this earth with an earth touch in these things.... You see, you go on like that and it leads to confusion if you come down onto this earth. Leave it alone and see what God is doing, and God is doing a spiritual thing, not a temporal thing. I could take an hour to enlarge upon that last phrase, ot a temporal thing.Do you see, in the sovereign activities of God, that now He is confounding and confusing and breaking down all temporal representations of His heavenly kingdom?! Men are trying to set up local churches after New Testament order. You have never had more confusion in local churches than you have today. They are trying to set up things, constitute things, Christian movements, Christian institutions, Christian organizations, and they are all in confusion and do not know what to do with one another. You may think that is an exaggeration, but you see what I mean? God is breathing upon every temporal representation in order to have a spiritual expression of Christ! That is the heart of what we are saying, and that is what is here.... This new Israel is so much greater than the old because Christ, this Messiah, is so much greater than their conception of a Messiah... I am talking about the greatness of this One Who is introduced in Hebrews: em>God, ...hath at the end of these days spoken in His Son, Whom He appointed Heir of...an exclusive party? No, em>of all things.That is Paul great word all the way through: em>all things, ...all things, ...all things,and in the end, em>to sum up all things in Christ.And if I need to safeguard, I am not talking about universalism. I am talking about God ultimate realm and sphere where it will be nothing but Christ.

Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

The love of the Spirit. § The Helper, the Holy Spirit. § In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of His Presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them; and He bore them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them as an enemy, and He fought against them.

We know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. § Having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. § I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. § The Spirit also helps in our weaknesses.

Eph. 4:30;  Rom. 15:30;  John 14:26;  Isa. 63:9,10;  1 John 4:13;  Eph. 1:13,14;  Gal. 5:16,17;  Rom. 8:26

I will return again to My place till they acknowledge their offense. Then they will seek My face.

Your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you. § My beloved had turned away and was gone. I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. § I hid and was angry, and he went on backsliding in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, and will heal him. § Have you not brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the Lord your God when He led you in the way?

He arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. § I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, for My anger has turned away.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Hos. 5:15;  Isa. 59:2;  Song 5:6;  Isa. 57:17,18;  Jer. 2:17;  Luke 15:20;  Hos. 14:4; 1 John 1:9

Grace Crown

The God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect (mature), establish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Pet. 5:10).

At first, the old nature hides from us. Then, we try to hide from it. But when we begin to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, we are able to face up to the awful facts concerning the old man and his condemnation at the Cross. As the Holy Spirit reveals the old man (Col. 3:9), we count upon death; as He reveals the new man (Col. 3:10), we count upon life (Rom. 6:11).

"The believer, at the opening of his course, never knows his own heart; indeed, he could not bear the full knowledge of it; he would be overwhelmed thereby. The Lord leads us not by the way of the Philistines lest we should see war, and so be plunged into despair. But He graciously leads us by a circuitous route, in order that our apprehension of His grace may keep pace with our growing self-knowledge." -C.H.M.

"It was not for nothing that God let Satan loose upon His dear servant, Job. God loved Job with a perfect love; a love that could take account of everything, and, looking below the surface, could see the deep moral roots in the heart of His servant - roots which Job had never seen, and, therefore, never judged. What a mercy to have to do with such a God! to be in the hands of One who will spare no pains in order to subdue everything in us which is contrary to Himself, and to bring out in us His own blessed image!"

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you" (1 Pet. 5:6, 7).

The Sacrifice of Praise