BY Argie Simonis
"And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thes. 5:23
Have you ever thought about the convenience and luxury we have today because of technology?
All this is possible thanks to knowledge. Man has not created anything new. He simply discovered and applied the laws established by the Lord from the beginning of Creation. The law of aerodynamics, for example, existed before man discovered it. The same is true of communications, electricity, computers and a great number of other modern discoveries.
Although humanity has made such huge discoveries that have completely changed our way of life, it seems that we are lagging behind in some things compared to previous generations. Although our ancestors did not have all the modern comforts we enjoy today, they did have a peace and strength that is lacking in today's society. I believe this is because while our knowledge of the physical world has increased, our knowledge of spiritual things has decreased. In his arrogance, man believes that he can solve all the problems of life on his own. But there can be no peace in the world unless there is peace within us first.
There is a whole world that man, even with all his wisdom, ignores. This is the world of the spirit. And I am not talking only about the spiritual realm outside of us, but also about the spiritual existence that is within every human being. We are not evolved animals. We were created in the image and likeness of God:
"And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness... Gen. 1:26
We are spiritual beings. The solution to the problem of human bad behavior will not come with stricter laws, metal detectors, or social engineering. There is only one solution: Changing people's hearts and that is something only Jesus can do.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." Hebrews 4:12
Unfortunately, many Christians have lost their spiritual orientation. Only a few know who they really are. The religious spirit has taught that as Christians we are sinners by nature, something that is in direct conflict with the Word of God.
It is true that we were all born sinners:
"Behold, I was shaped in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." Psalms 51:5
and we had the nature of the devil working within us:
"Wherein in time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience:
Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Eph. 2:2-3
But when we came to Christ and received salvation, we became new creations, new people in spirit:
This change does not refer to your body. If you were a man before you accepted Christ, you are still a man after that. Your body has not changed. Also, your soul, that is, what we call your mental and emotional part (your mind, your will and your emotions), did not change automatically either. It can of course change through the renewal of the mind:
"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Rom. 12:2
In the spirit, however, you became a brand new creature, a new kind of existence and there is no sinful nature left in you.
"In whom you also trusted, after that you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that you believed, you were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise," Eph. 1:13
The seal mentioned here has not only the meaning of the stamp, but also the meaning of protection, as in the sealing of food. Our born again spirit has on it the stamp of God and the full protection of the Holy Spirit. No sin can penetrate our spirit.
I know this may shock many of you who have been taught the theology of old nature versus new nature. Most Christians have been taught that after salvation, they are still the same in nature and live the rest of their lives striving to be sanctified and to keep this old sinful nature from manifesting. They believe that they have two natures. On one side the new nature in Christ and on the other the old, sinful nature that opposes the new. This is totaly schizophrenic and creates Christians who look nothing like Christ.
The apostle Paul addressed this issue in his letter to the Romans in chapter 6. In the previous chapters he had proved with strong arguments that God relates to us by grace through faith and a reasonable question that might arise is:
"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?" Rom. 6:1
Of course, Paul meant something different here and gave two reasons in this chapter, why Christians must live holy:
"God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Rom. 6:2
This is unfortunately something that many Christians are unaware of. They believe that they are alive to sin and that with much struggle, failure and frustration they fight against this sinful nature by trying to suspend it by remaining in sanctification for the rest of their lives.
But the Word of God teaches us something different. Paul said:
"Know you not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?" Rom. 6:3
And he continues:
"Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that from now on we should not serve sin." Rom. 6:6
"Know you not, that to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants you are to whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?" Rom. 6:16
Our old sinful nature is dead. It is gone, there is no more! This is not something that has to happen in the future or that has to happen over and over again. It is completed once and for all. If so, then why are Christians still sinning?
"If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." 1John 1:8
"We know that whoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not." 1John 5:18
How do these 2 verses above that John himself writes harmonize together?
What we need to understand is that our nature has changed and the only reason we still sin is because we do not know these truths and have not renewed our minds with the Word of God:
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
The truth you know, the truth that has been revealed to you is what will set you free.
Our minds are like computers in the sense that they can be programmed. And once they are programmed, they will continue to work as planned until we reprogram them. We were all born into sin, and our old sinful nature programmed our minds to be selfish, bitter, angry, and to have all these bad desires. When we are born again (John 3:3), we become completely new in our spirit. This old nature has changed completely as we read earlier in 2 Cor. 5:17. We are not even in the process of change. We are already as pure and perfect in spirit as Jesus is:
"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world..." 1John 4:17
"But he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit." 1Cor. 6:17
Our sinful nature may be dead, but it left a carcass behind. This carcass is the carnal mind. It will continue to run as scheduled until we reprogram it. This reprogramming is what the Bible calls the renewal of the mind, as we read in Romans 12:2, and this is exactly how we achieve victory in our Christian life: When we know who we really are and what we have already received in Christ. As long as we see ourselves simply as old sinners saved by grace, we will continue to experience this daily conflict of holiness-sinfulness. But when we understand the real change that has occurred in our nature, this will be manifested in our actions in a quite effortless way.
We are what we think:
"For as he thinks in his heart, so is he." Prov. 23:7
When we see ourselves as sinners, we behave accordingly. But when we see who we are in Christ, (who we are in our born-again spirits), we become like Him:
"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the LORD." 2Cor. 3:18
This is the fundamental revelation that changed our lives. We are spiritual beings who have a soul (will, mind and emotions) and live in a physical body. The core of our existence is our spirit and it is this spirit that has been changed radically and became like Jesus.
God is Spirit and relates to me based on who I am in the spirit:
"God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24
I will close this message with a brief summary:
- I now worship God based on who I am in the spirit and not on who I am in my flesh (the way I feel or act). Now I understand how our holy God can truly love me, because in my born-again spirit, I am absolutely righteous and holy and my spirit is His work:
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph. 2:10
- I have discovered that I was redeemed from the Law because the Law was not created for a righteous man:
"Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for murderers,
For fornicators, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for enslavers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;" 1Τim. 1:9-10
In our born-again spirit, however, we have ceased to be all of the above, even though we walked in them for a while.
- The Law was given to show us our need for salvation, but it could not save us:
"Now we know that what things soever the law said, it said to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Rom. 3:19-20
- But what the Law could not do, Jesus did:
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." Rom. 8:3-4
- I am now the righteousness of God in Christ:
"For he has made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 2Cor. 5:21
This is my inheritance and it gives me a right and a share in what God is and what God has. God has given us power and authority and to the extent that we use it we see the corresponding results. We have truly experienced the wonderful works of God in our lives and are so grateful and excited about what the Lord has done and continues to do in our lives that we want to share it with you so the whole world can learn these truths.
This is the foundation of a series of messages
where I will deal with various religious taboos and wrong teachings that exist among christians and keep the Body of Christ in darkness and ignorance, preventing it from walking in the calling of the Lord.
To be continued ...
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