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(1 Corinthians 2:6 - 1 Corinthians 2:7) -
- We do speak a message of wisdom,
but not the wisdom of this world or of the
rulers of this world, who are passing off the
scene.
(7) Instead, we speak about God's secret wisdom
that has been hidden,
which God destined for our glory before the
world began.
THE MYSTERY OF THE CROSS
Jesus
Was Crucified For US & with US
The
Mystery of Baptism
The
Only Good Christian is a Dead Christian
Warfare
and Battling in the Mind and in the Flesh
Attributes
of A flesh-Centered Person
Walking
In The Spirit
Offloading
the Burdens of our Lower Nature
An
effort to Change our Worship or' Meditations'
Tears
of Cleansing Revealing Restoration
Jesus
was Crucified For Us and With Us
"And
they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh
with the affections and lusts." Galatians
5:24
Jesus
was sentenced to die in the place of a condemned
man Barabbas. Barabbas was a flagrant sinner,
(who represents every man without God), Jesus
called his death "his baptism", Paul
states that, "as many who are baptized
into Christ are baptized into His death."
We are also likened to have risen with Him,
a figurative picture portrayed in the coming
forth out of the water in immersion baptism.
"Know ye not, that so many of us as
were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized
into his death? - Therefore we are buried with
him by baptism into death: that like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of
the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life." (Romans 6:3,4 kjv)
"Be
it known unto you all, and to all the people
of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised
from the dead, even by him doth this man stand
here before you whole." (Acts 4:10)
"But we preach Christ crucified,
unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the
Greeks foolishness;" "But unto them
which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ
the power of God, and the wisdom of God."
(1 Corinthians 1:23,24 kjv)
BAPTISM: A SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY
Baptism is more than a token act or a sacramental
religious act:
Jesus meant it to usher in a supernatural life
wherein believers
become crucified to the world, and reassigned
to a new category, the elect of God
It happens - NOW - in this life!
Baptism
is an act of faith which has been performed
as a religious act for a very long time and
sacramentally as an even longer time. Churches
practice baptism in various forms. Some sprinkle
while others immerse. In some denominations
it is performed upon children. In new testament
application it was only administered to those
who professed Christ as savior and Lord.
It is in Baptism that the believer yields to
the Holy Spirit power afforded in the cross.
It is in Baptism that the believer determines
that the old life with its sins and weaknesses
have had their season and must now come to
an end. It is in Baptism where Jesus reached
the full release into his ministry and received
the Holy Spirit in His greatest measure. It
is in Baptism where the old nature is separated
from the person and is killed. Any demonic
strongholds can not remain in the person who
body is dead! Fleshly appetites are no longer
a problem for the body who is dead. A dead
man can no longer function as a sinner. If
Baptism were explained more fully, instead
of being a mere religious requirement, the
believer would advance quickly to leave the
old life, nature, and natural limitatins behind.
The un-named thief on a cross near Jesus was
"baptized" into Jesus' death in the
most literal sense and became the first to
enter in the Kingdom of heaven as a new creation.
This is baptism in the truest sense.
Jesus
asks us to take up our own cross in following
him. Though we are not expected to die on a
cross we are expected to know that it is a
powerful force to initiate a Spiritual life
in the Kingdom of God and that "by faith"
we can access all of its promise and potential.
We come forth from the water, resurrected.
We come forth from the water, in the power
of the Christ life within. We come forth from
the water, separated from the old nature with
its lusts. We have symbolically put the old
"me" to death. The Ethiopian eunuch
who Phillip ministered to in Gaza was taught
only the essentials of Christ crucified and
risen and as Messiach who fulfilled all prophetic
scripture a subsitutionary sacrafice for each
sinner. Phillip also taught the essentials
of Baptism to him. It just so happened
that they found a place with enough water at
this juncture of the journey through Gaza.
Phillip baptized the man and immediately sent
him on his way to Ethiopia in the power of
the Spirit. This was the extent of his discipling
but we can be assured that it was enough and
fully empowered by the Holy Spirit. It was
this man who carried the Gospel in power and
simplicity to hundreds in his own land, who
provided a tradition of apostolic Christianity
which lasted hundreds of years.
Infants
who have not yet reached the age of reason
may be dedicated or blessed, in a special act
of faith, but this is not Biblical baptism
which is a dedicatory act of a believer. Baptism
is to submerse in water to come up out of the
water symbolizing the crucifixion of
the old man and the the entry into a new resurrected
life.
Paradox
of Losing One's Life
"Whoever would lose his life for my
sake will find it; whoever will save his own
life will lose it." (Luke 9:24 and
17:23) Jesus addresses
the issue of two lives each one opposing the
other. Within the mysteries of God numerous
paradoxes are introduced. Among these, one
about a seed which needs to fall and die before
it can bring forth any fruit (read John 12:24).
Though the outer manifestation of the seed
form dissolves from its original identity this
allows that seed to bring forth a crop or fruit.
Decreasing to our own self interests is essential
before God can use us. This is portrayed in
the "pruning of the vine" in another
parable. Dying to self is the result of bearing
a cross daily. The self and the flesh need
to be buried.
Life
and life more abundant are what Jesus promises
his disciples. But this abundant spiritual
life lies in an entirely different sort of
configuration than that which worldly persons
value or seek. As we grow spiritually, God
causes us to feel alienated from the world,
distinct and apart from it, owning different
values and treasuring other kinds of treasures
than the world treasures. We can not simple
"will" to despise worldliness it
is something which the Spirit begins to grow
in us as a fruit of righteousness.
We
eventually begin to hate both the ways of the
world and its impact on our own lives (in its
pettiness, shallowness and spiritual blindness).
In
the beginning of our spiritual walk, that which
some describe as spiritual infancy, we tend
to migrate back to life as we had known it.
We had a familiar lifestyle and a pattern of
thinking, speaking and reacting to others.
Our old nature included our habitual excesses,
our reputations for good or evil, our self
pride, our name, our looks, our offices, our
talents, our careers and educations. These
things do not impress God nor did they ever
impress him. Until we regard them as "dung,"
as Paul stated in his letter to the Phillipians
Chapter 3 and verse 8. We do not yet have a
heavenly perspective. Our old vanities were
forged in the semblance of this world and its
vain idolatries and will pass as the fog in
the morning."- if a man think himself
to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth
himself." (Galatians 6:3)
Jesus reminds us to not cling to this life
nor any of its apparent treasures. Which are
merely passing things, apparitions which soon
vanish like the dew of morning. "Take
up your cross daily and follow after me."
(Take this cross as a reminder that you are
already reckoned dead to yourself, crucified
in the human nature and alive on a higher level,
that of having been raised to new life, resurrected
into the position of being seated with Christ
in the seat of His transcendent authority.
The Only Good Christian is a Dead Christian
"For if we have been planted together
in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
in the likeness of his resurrection:"
Romans 6:5; "Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him, that the body
of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth
we should not serve sin." 6:6; "For
he that is dead is freed from sin."
6:7; "Now if we be dead with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him:"6:8
"Knowing that Christ being raised from
the dead dieth no more; death hath no more
dominion over him." 6:9; "Likewise
reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus
Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:5-11)
"For though he was crucified through
weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God.
For we also are weak in him, but we shall live
with him by the power of God toward you."
(1 Corinthians 13:4) "I
am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live;
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by
the faith of the Son of God, who loved me,
and gave himself for me." (Galatians
2:20)
Warfare, Battling in the Mind and in the
Flesh
Our
bodies and our lives were once the property
of Satan! You may personally have a higher
view of your own present or past lifestyle
than this, but nonetheless it is the scripturally
correct viewpoint which we must adopt. A life
without redemption through Jesus Christ was
a life lived in Satan's domain. The 'God of
this world' wants desperately to continue in
it.
Attributes
of A CARNAL-Centered Person
The
following list describes attributes of the
natural man man or woman, carnal, that is to
say the unredeemed and souish, self-centered
personality
"Now
the works of the flesh are manifest, which
are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness," "Idolatry, witchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness,
revellings, and such like: of the which I tell
you before, as I have also told you in time
past, that they which do such things shall
not inherit the kingdom of God" (Galatians
5:19-21)
Walking in the Spirit
(Living with an awareness of God's presence
and being led by communication with the Holy
Spirit)
Scriptural
proof passages describe the serious
limitation of the human soul in its natural
state. The natural man can not know God. Now,
we know that many people are marvelously gifted
with natural virtues and abilities. Some intellectual,
some physical, some musical, some poetical,
some marvelous organizers, etc. These natural
abilities are still inadequate to do what the
Lord wishes to do through us. We need to have
some insights on how we can go beyond natural
abilities or natural limitations. How does
God instruct us to overcome these natural abilities
or limitations? By walking in the Spirit.
The natural man (Gk. psuchikos) is also
translated the man without the spirit. It denotes
a human being whose life centers around his
or her own soulish nature. The soulish being
is personality centered, comprised of natural
intellect, will, feelings and emotion. (1Corinthians
2:14) states that such soulish persons can
not receive things which are of the Spirit
of God, such things are foolishness to him.
Walking
in the Spirit is more than having knowledge
about God or the Bible. It is even more than
renewed attitudes and beliefs, it is walking
in (a present-moment awareness) of the life
of God within us; to be aware that we are enshrouded
and encompassed by Christ's life and Spirit.
Walking
in the Spirit is a state of Spiritual consciousness
of actually partaking of the mind of God. There
is a way of entering in to this state, through
an act of faith of yielding and entering. Preparing
the heart may take some attention, we must
turn from many things which have us bound up;
cares, fears, other voices inside have to be
stilled; we give place to God, both through
will and word. Walking in the Spirit means
letting go of our own self-life, personality
and all of life's lusts and idols.
One
can not partake of this life with hatred or
unforgiveness in your heart. One can not partake
of this life with rage or jealousy in your
heart. One can not partake of this life with
unforgiveness or bitterness in your heart.
We must unload all burdens, set aside all anger
and filthiness of the flesh. Then we enter
in, as follows.
Off-loading
the Burdens of our Lower Nature
The
things we do and the things we think regulate
spiritual life. David the psalmist king of
Israel knew this and dealt with the whole issue
saying, "May the words of my mouth
and the meditations of my heart be acceptable
unto you O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."(Psalm
19:4)
The
purity and integrity of our spiritual lives
is based upon the meditation(s) of our hearts,
those things which occupy our thought life
when no one is around and no one else influences
your behavior.
Jesus
taught that it is in the heart where man's
treasure lies. As we value and treasure things
we give thought and meditation to these things.
After thinking and meditating on the matters
of greatest interest to us we are likely to
respond with words and actions which will map
our treasures.
Jesus
spoke of good treasures and evil treasures
and said that we speak as an overflow from
the abundance of our hearts, thus we may bring
forth either good or evil. Evil meditations
will ultimately bring forth corrupted worship.
It is the thing which we worship most highly
which occupies the meditation of our hearts.
An
effort to Change our Worship - Meditation
In a spoken petition you might say something
like this, "Jesus, I ask you to be
my burden bearer. Jesus, I know you want to
walk with me and carry my burden as your yoke.
Even as you take my burden from me let me partake
of your yoke of a higher life.""Relieve
me of my burden of ---."(supply the name
of the thing.)"I cast down my idol of
----." (supply the name of that
thing.)
"Father,
Cleanse me, make me pure. Remember me TODAY
in your kingdom. Give me your spirit now so
that I become a child of God. Release me in
the Spirit of worship and praise. Father, I
thank you for receiving me into your presence.
Saying these things with your mouth will activate
your faith and God's response. in Jesus name
I pray this. "Say it! And say it only
if you mean it!
Tears of Cleansing Reveals the Spirit at
Work
Allow
this token of cleansing to do its work, It
is part of the seed dying and the vessel being
broken so it can give forth a new incense out
of your life, an incense of praise unto God.
Press
into the Holy place which is that secret place
of the most high, revealed in your spirit.
This process may take minutes, hours or even
days. Wait upon the Lord for Him to complete
you. Give praise to God. Speak to Him and listen
to Him respond to you. Begin to walk in the
Spirit.
"If
we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in
the Spirit." (Galatians 5:25) "Let
us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking
one another, envying one another." (Galatians
5:26) "Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ." (Galatians
6:2) "But God forbid that I should
glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus
Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto
me, and I unto the world." (Galatians
6:14)
Mysteries,
Chapter 5
E
Book 1:
The
Gospel Without Religion
E Book 2:
A
Disciples Handbook
E Book 3:
Mysteries
in the Bible Index
to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles
Index
to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles
Resources:
Understanding Home Fellowships
Frank Viola Interviews a typical church-goer
(Discussion
of Open Church)
Index
to all Charles Pinkney Christian Titles
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