#384 Kingdom: Melchizedek: The Priesthood Of The Holy Spirit

The Lampstand And The Seven Spirits Of God

In the #1 study of this series on the Kingdom of Priests we systematically showed that Melchizedek was the earth name for the Holy Spirit. In the same way that the earth name of the Word of God was Jesus, The Holy Spirit had an earth name when He appeared in human form to Abram. That Name is Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness and the King of Peace. It is NOT necessary to depreciate the name or position of Jesus Christ to exalt the name, the position and the ministry of the Holy Spirit; the same is true of the Father. There IS but one God and ALL his manifestations are essential and critical to the development of the church that Christ is building. Of course the “church” that men are building can deny both the Spirit of Christ and the Holy Spirit and try to build something of their own design and call it by their own name.

The Lampstand is not just a piece of furniture in the Tabernacle of Moses. It was NOT just a source of light for the Holy Place but a copy and shadow of an Eternal Reality in the MANY realms of heaven. The illumination of the Seven Flames of Fire was not just an earthly necessity for local light but an earthly copy of the reality and function of the Seven Spirits of God, which are the Seven Eyes of the Lord, within this dispensation of the Church. The Holy Place in the Tabernacle would have been in complete darkness without the illumination of the Seven Flames of Fire on the Lampstand. This single fact should alert the church to the absolute necessity of this ministry in the church that Christ is building. We can easily observe that HIS Absolute Necessity is generally ignored in the church that men are building, where “the natural man” is the central focus and some earthly success is the goal.

In one of the word pictures that is given in scriptures, when the king got caught up in numbering Israel he nearly lost his kingdom. It is in many of these word pictures about the priests and the kings we can graphically learn what God accepts and what He rejects. None of these earthly kings or priests can define “perfection.” However, now we have a King / Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek that clearly defines “perfection” from God’s Viewpoint.

Heb 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. 11 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.

One of the objections that we hear is this; “Well, I just don’t think the natural man will ever come to perfection.” We could not agree more! The natural man will NEVER come to perfection. He is not even included in God’s plan. The only plan that God has for the natural man, after Adam, is death and burial. God has not even planned an “out- resurrection” for the natural man because he came from the earth and must stay on the earth and return to the dust from which he was taken. The resurrection of this dirt body is another carnal concept promoted by the natural man as a final solution to his mortality and the hope of eternal life.

The New Inner Man has already resurrected by the Zoe LIFE that he has received. This Resurrection Life of Christ IS the Life we receive in Christ. This Life has already passed through death and lives on the other side of death. That is why the New Creation Inner Man has what the Bible calls “Eternal Life.” He has passed out of death into Life, Zoe!

Rom 6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. {Zoe} 5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection {Life Zoe}

The Holy Spirit is here referred to as the Glory of The Father. “In the likeness” has been added by the translators. The Greek says “We shall be of His resurrection” {life-Zoe}.

Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life {Zoe} to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you.

It was the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead in resurrection Life which is a different kind of Life that has already passed through death. When the Holy Spirit imparts that Zoe-Life to us we are living in resurrection. According to 1 Cor 15 the new inner man will not be re-clothed with a resurrected dirt body but will receive a body- covering suitable for eternity. This is a “body-covering” for the New Spirit Man but is not made of dirt. Neither does it originate on earth.

1Co 15:44 it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.

2Co 5:1 For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.

When we lay aside this dirt shell (tent) of a dust body, our new inner man would be unclothed and naked. However, God has designed a new covering from heaven so we will not be found naked. Our new clothing is not resurrected from the dust realm but is from heaven. If we don’t have a new inner man {saved} we will not need this other kind of eternal clothing.

At funerals we hear someone boldly proclaim; “that dead body will come out of the grave” and ascend into heaven but this is another theological fantasy! However, it gives some kind of comfort and hope to the natural man. The body that Jesus had following the resurrection was quite different so that His disciples could not recognize Him. Jesus didn’t run around naked but He had a body that could pass through walls and appear or disappear.

I added these few thoughts so we can identify with another realm above or [outside] the visible earth realm associated with nature. Even though this other realm is not visible in the earth-dirt realm, it is still a reality. The Lampstand Church that Christ is building is of that higher /invisible realm. How do we know that? Because the Lampstand is in the Realm of the Holy Place and NOT in the Outer Court, natural light, realm. In the horizontal Tabernacle it appears the Lampstand is in the dirt realm. That is why it is essential that we try to show the functioning Lampstand Church in the vertical Tabernacle, removed from the dirt realm, so we can identify these different dimensions between the Outer Court and the Holy Place.

Much of the work of the Holy Spirit [The Priesthood of Melchizedek] is in this invisible realm. “He leads into all truth” but he is not an instructor in a Bible School, neither does He stand in a pulpit. He IS that Inner Anointing [ indwelling paracletos] that teaches us all things. Obviously, kindergarten is not the same as college and teaching a baby is quite different than teaching post graduate courses. Ministries, generally, are assigned the task of teaching in the lower grade levels until the new inner man reaches some maturity and can be taught by the inner anointing. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit IS the absolute teacher and knows how to teach and discipline at every class level. The natural minister (pulpit-professional) cannot function in these invisible dimensions or feed the proper rations at the proper time. Many cannot even feed themselves, except in the natural realms.

Luke 12:42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time?

Everyone who cuts himself off from the active Inner Spirit / Life ministry of the Holy Spirit will just promote more religious activity and search out new programs to cover up the bankruptcy of human thought, carnal programs and clever planning in the earth dimension.

Since most of us, in the ministry, who are still sharing in the earth dimension and standing in the dirt of the Outer Court, are at last recognizing our bankruptcy and ineffectiveness in ministry, need to clearly understand there is a “WAY” out of this dilemma. Jesus is still the “way in” to the Outer Court AND He is also the “WAY OUT” into the next dimension. The Next Dimension is to enter into the Holy Place realm of the Lampstand Church and the Seven Spirits of God.

I have no confidence that this will ever happen by another Outer Court revival or by laying on of hands but will be by the inner working of God. However, this is only practical among those who have a new inner man that has developed some maturity and enough discernment to repent of our earth bound ministry and respond to our heavenly call and eternal destiny.

Today, it would be very rare to find a ministry that was actually functioning in the Eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. This is really pathetic after 2000 years of church history. I am not saying no one has ever functioned in that realm but that today the emphasis has been upon some outward, visible and ego-centric ministry and satisfying the earth man with gifts and blessings. Since the understanding of Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek is intimately linked to the Feast of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, this is another area we need to explore. In 1905 this Feast of Pentecost was restored to some practical experience in the visible church but in a very minute way. From Leviticus 23:15 to 22 a short outline of this Feast is given. This is a 1 day feast. However, within the ONE DAY there was several things necessary to complete the Feast. In other words, just keeping part of the Feast is not acceptable.

For example, this Feast could NOT be kept in the wilderness because it was a harvest Feast that could ONLY be properly kept AFTER they entered into Canaan and harvested the land. The visitation of God at Mt. Sinai on the 50^th day was the introduction but the rest of the Feast required that Israel enter Canaan and harvest the land.

Lev 23:10 "Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, 'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 'And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

Lev 23:15 'You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 16 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD.

Lev 23:17 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD. 18 'Along with the bread, you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd, and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their libations, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD. 19 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

Lev 23:20 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 'On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.

[One of the requirements of Pentecost is that we STOP all the “laborious work” that is connected to the flesh / natural and human zeal activities. In other words lay aside the garments that make you sweat]

Lev 23:22 'When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"

[ If we remain in the wilderness we cannot plant seed. If we pant no seed there will be no harvest and we will not have to worry about reaping the corners of the fields. Of course there will be no first fruits so we are eliminated from the feast. Therefore, we will not need to bring these 6 sacrifices. Of course we will not be accepted by God either. Maybe we should just receive “super grace” and remain in the wilderness and not worry about any of this stuff.]

This is a very important Feast and one of the THREE FEASTS that were mandatory. Those who refuse to read the Old Testament because its Old Covenant Laws are not relevant for the church, have produced doctrines that reject the necessity of these seven Feasts of the Lord as personal experiences! Therefore, the vast majority in the visible church are ignorant of God’s purposes and have a defective understanding of our foundations and reject the demands of the Kingdom.

Literally keeping the feast in an earth way is irrelevant but the feasts also indicate the “appointed times of the Lord.” Consequently many assume that the Feast of Pentecost {or what is called the Pentecostal experience} is optional even though Jesus warned His disciples Not to leave Jerusalem until after they had experienced the New Covenant fulfillment of Pentecost. Today, the lack of these experiences is seen in the carnal and casual state of the visible church. The New Covenant fulfillment is an “inward, invisible Feast” that impacts the new inner man. The “reality of the feasts”must be kept NEW each year if we expect the continual blessings of the Lord and the active manifestation of the Holy Spirit in our life and in our assemblies. “Each Year” indicates a growing and maturing in each feast as our actual experience.

Exo 23:14 "Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15 "You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.

Exo 23:16 "Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

Exo 34:22 "And you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, {Pentecost}that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. 23 "Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel. 24 "For I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your borders, and no man shall covet your land when you go up three times a year to appear before the LORD your God.

Now we all should know that keeping the earthly feast is just more religious activity that captures the imagination of Messianic groups. These Earthy Feasts were just copies and shadows of an eternal reality within the feast that has its fulfillment in the Kingdom / Church Realm in this dispensation.

“Let us keep the feasts” but Not in the earth dimension but in the next spiritual realm that relates to the True Tabernacle in heaven. This is what we are calling the Holy Place realm where the Lampstand Church is designed to function.

1Cor 5:7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Here we see some of the difference between the natural feast and the New Covenant understanding. Each Feast must be interpreted in this way to gain understanding of what the fulfillment should be in our Life Experience. The Feast of Pentecost has a definite fulfillment in our experience but has nothing to do with bread or leaven or slain animals.

First Let us examine the earthly shadow of the heavenly reality of Pentecost in it stages and progression.

(1) Lev 23:16 'You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD. [ The Feast of the 50^th Day; Pentecost]

[ That indicates 7 weeks or 49 days plus one day or it is called the Feast of the 50^th day] “Pente (50) -cost”

(2)Lev 23:17 'You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the LORD.

[We cannot keep this feast in the wilderness because there is NO harvest there]

(3)Lev 23:18 'Along with the bread, you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd, and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the LORD, with their grain offering and their libations, [drink offerings] an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the LORD.

[Sacrifices are not valid unless there is a grain offering]

(4)Lev 23:19 'You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

(5)Lev 23:20 'The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the LORD; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest.

{If there is no wheat harvest, there is NO bread that can be made from the first fruits and the Wave Offering cannot be offered]

The Offerings Of Pentecost Are (1) New Grain Offering (2) Wave Offering (3) Burnt Offering (4) Drink Offering (5) Sin Offering (6) Peace Offering.

This does NOT represent the Fulness of Pentecost but is enough to understand that “speaking in tongues, prophesying and gifts” does NOT fulfill the whole Feast. This “harvest feast” {at the turn of the year–Exo 34:22– called the Feast of Ingathering } has many different dimensions.

This may seem like a extra long introduction to the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. My theory is this; The Priesthood after the order of Aaron was established at Mt. Sinai and the Feast of Pentecost was kept each year to remember how God came down on the Mountain on the 50^th day after they kept Passover in Egypt. Mt. Sinai and the giving of the Law, the earthly priesthood and the construction of the Tabernacle of Moses is all directly connected to the Feast of Pentecost or the Feast of the 50th Day. Pentecost is also called the Feast of Harvest of Ingathering. Mt. Sinai was a shadow of Mt. Zion as we see in Hebrews 12. In Acts 2 we may see the “first offering” or the “New Grain Offering” in its reality.

The “priesthood after the order of Aaron” was a substitute for the Kingdom of Priests that God purposed at Mt. Sinai. That earthly priesthood was just copy or shadow of the New Covenant reality that is the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Mt. Sinai is a type or picture, a shadow of the reality and fulfillment which is Mt. Zion.

The priesthood of Aaron is connected to Mt. Sinai and the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek is directly connected to Mt. Zion. Zion is the “place” of the Throne of God and of Christ who has become our High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. Zion is the “place” of the King / Priest and His body of manifested Sons.

I am speculating that to fulfill the purpose of God it is absolutely essential that we keep the reality or fulfillment of these three Feasts and appear before God for each one. It would not be a good idea to appear before God empty handed or to ignore any of these Feasts.

It should be clear already that “speaking in tongues, prophesying or gifts” are a long way from the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Being full of the Holy Spirit is still different than returning in the Power of the Spirit.

Luke 4:1 And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led about by the Spirit in the wilderness

Luke 4:14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit; and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district.

Jesus was Baptized in the Holy Spirit, was filled with the Spirit, was led by the Spirit and returned in the Power of the Spirit. He was certainly being prepared to take up His Priesthood after the Order of the Holy Spirit.

Heb 5:8 Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. 9 And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, 10 being designated by God as a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

For Jesus to fulfill God’s full purpose, His Sonship, His suffering, His obedience and His perfection was experientially necessary to become our High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek. The 6 sacrifices of Pentecost are part of our understanding of Pentecost.

We showed, without question, in other studies that the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek was really the Priesthood after the Order of The Holy Spirit. Therefore, I am not at all embarrassed to declare that our full experience of the Feast of Pentecost is not optional when we consider we are all called to that Royal Priesthood. Melchizedek was a King / Priest and we have all been called to become a Kingdom of priests or king / priests.

Rev 1:6 and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father; to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

First Peter in Chapter 2 calls this a “royal priesthood” or a kingly priesthood.

1Pe 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1Pe 2:9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE {Gk. genos} , A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Now we could make a very bold statement here. Becoming a priest after the Order of Melchizedek is NOT an option if we expect to participate in the Kingdom in its eternal dimensions. Why? Because the Kingdom will be a Kingdom of Priests.

Since that is scripturally and eternally true, it is also true that “every New Covenant Ministry” MUST be involved in preparing their believers to become priests after the Order of Melchizedek. In other words, each Outer Court experience is essential just to prepare the new believers to qualify for priesthood. However, ONLY the Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Christ [ currently the two Priests after that order] can develop and fully prepare us for that Eternal Priesthood. Why? Because they are the ONLY ones who know how or who have the ability to transform us into Priests.

At the present time there are two priests after that order but eventually there will be a whole Kingdom of Priests after that order.

Rev 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.

The earth man or the intellectually trained “clergy” naively announce that we are all kings and priests and will reign with Christ for a thousand years. However, they completely ignore the requirements and the preparation to BECOME a Kingdom of Priests. They just casually declare that if you believe in Jesus you are already the royal priesthood. No building up into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood is necessary now because of God’s grace. Just believe something about Jesus and you are included!

It is my opinion that this ignorance MUST be corrected even though it probably will not happen in this generation of “ministers.” However, how can we preach the Kingdom and ignore the Priesthood of the Kingdom? How can we preach the mysteries of the Kingdom if WE are not now the Priests of that Kingdom.

Again, this seems like a long introduction for the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek but we need to see why these experiences are absolutely essential if we are going to participate in the next restoration. Peter makes it clear that ALL can participate in this New Covenant Royal Priesthood. This is not a special calling to some pulpit ministry or just the “five fold ministry” but includes those who are the body of the High Priest.

If the “five fold ministries” today were required to be priests after the Order of Melchizedek BEFORE they could minister, { King / Priests} we would not have all this confusion about ministry today. We would not have so many ministries laying empty hands on people today, so they receive nothing, because God fills the hands of His Consecrated Priests.

The recurring question today is this; If this ministry of the King / Priest is so essential, why are we just now hearing about it? My answer is this; Because God has been restoring truth to the church in a systematic way for 600 years. Each of these “restorations” follows the pattern of the Tabernacle. We are at the time for the restoration of the Lampstand Church that HE is building! Will this restoration be important for the Church that men are building? No! This is totally irrelevant for the earth church that men are building!

Jesus , in Revelation 2 and 3, is ONLY walking among the Gold Lampstand Churches that He is intricately involved in building. He is VERY serious about His church’s condition. When men try to build a church according to their own ideas, Jesus will step back and let them exhaust themselves building with wood, hay and straw. The earth bound minister will still be proud of what he has built with earth materials and try to present it to Jesus in that day. Of course all that is just wasted human effort and more fuel for the fire.

For that reason the Two Current Priests After The Order Of Melchizedek are essential for the next restoration that will include (1) The Consecration Offering (2) The Confrontation with the Second Veil (3) the restoration of the functioning Lampstand Church! We are anticipating the Illumination of the Seven Spirits Of God within the next restoration. Where will we go to visit this great “revival?” No where! Why? Because this Seven Spirits of God must be within us illuminating our new inner man. The Present Lampstand is within His Sanctuary, in the temple of the living God, which is in the New inner Man.

2Co 6:16 --- For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE.

1Co 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

In This Dispensation God Dwells in us but it is clear in Revelation 21:22 that God IS the Eternal Temple and those in the New Jerusalem will dwell in that Temple that IS God and the Lamb. In other words these Saints will dwell in God! That is why nothing unclean can ever come into it. {In “the Temple”, to dwell in HIM.}

This “lampstand” is in our new inner man or the sanctuary, which is the temple where God dwells, and is therefore, the place of the seven flames of fire,[illumination and elimination] and the seven eyes of the Lord,[insight and inspection] which are the Seven Spirits of God.[discipline and correction] Nothing on the inside escapes His notice.

 

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Each Manifestation Of The Fullness Of The Holy Spirit within us serves a definite purpose in solving the defects inherited from Adam and the consequences of the fall in Genesis 3.

Forgiveness Of Sins Is “Through The Blood” but the removal of the defects requires the “Inner Working Of God!” This requires an “inner cleansing.” This applies to the Washing of Water with The Word. {Ephesians 5: 26-27}

2Co 7:1 Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

Lev 21:17 "Speak to Aaron, saying, 'No man of your offspring throughout their generations who has a defect shall approach to offer the bread of his God. 18 'For no one who has a defect shall approach: a blind man, or a lame man, or he who has a disfigured face, or any deformed limb, 19 or a man who has a broken foot or broken hand, 20 or a hunchback or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye or eczema or scabs or crushed testicles. 21 'No man among the descendants of Aaron the priest, who has a defect, is to come near to offer the LORD'S offerings by fire; since he has a defect, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.

This Is NOT a matter of forgiveness but is a matter of removing the defects. Under the Old Covenant this was not possible. However, Jesus HEALED all these defects in those who came to Him seeking healing.

Lev 21:22 'He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy,

23 only he shall not go in to the veil or come near the altar because he has a defect, that he may not profane My sanctuaries. For I am the LORD who sanctifies them.'"

If The lessor priesthood of Aaron could not approach God in the temporal, earthly realms if they had a defect, how much more severe is it to approach God with a defect in the Eternal Realms within the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek?

This “eternal priesthood” after the order of Melchizedek is a priesthood of “perfection.” Defects are not acceptable. Forgiveness of sins is one thing but defects is quite another. It seems that in the Evangelical Church “defects”, “character faults”, “lack of growth or change”, “casual attitudes”, “lukewarm zeal” etc. is forgiven by the blood and no further cleansing is necessary. Paul apparently saw something more than forgiveness of sins.

Col 1:25 Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, 26 that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, 27 to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Col 1:28 And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ. 29 And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

The “Mystery” is not forgiveness of sins by the blood but is “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This “inner sanctuary” is part of the mystery that has been hidden. Bringing the church to perfection, or maturity, or completeness was Paul goal and his calling. Paul calls this “fully carrying out the preaching of the Word of God” and “fulfilling his stewardship from God.”

There is no longer any reason we should remain ignorant of God’s purpose to bring the church to perfection or to full maturity in Christ.

Eph 5:25 —just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her;

26 that He might sanctify her,{ the church} having cleansed her {the church} by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.

Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation

Eph 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.

Eph 4:15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ,

The responsibility for the stagnant growth of the visible church and its status quo condition MUST be laid at the feet of the ministries that He has set in the church. Of course many “ministries” in the visible church have just appointed themselves and chosen a ministry as a vocation and assumed a title. These have become “professional positions.”

The ONE that ascended far above the heavens, from that exalted position, has personally appointed the ministries for the Church that He is Building. He is personally walking among the Gold Lampstand Churches and is very bold to point out their faults, defects and failures. “Grace” is not a subject in Revelation 2 and 3. Correction and discipline is in the forefront here. Super grace is the fantasy of the natural preacher who only recognizes a Savior and not the King-Priest.