#552 The Gospel of God’s Absolutes.
The Gospel of the Kingdom
The Gospel of Christian Philosophy
The Gospel of Church Doctrines
September 21, 2013
The “Gospel {good news} of God’s Absolutes” establishes a constant and a continuity that is totally dependable in every dispensation, in every nation, among every ethnic group and for every aspect of Christianity. It is these hundreds of “ABSOLUTES” that create a permanent basis by which we should interpret all other verses in the Bible. These “absolutes” become the folder in which all the doctrines are stored. The “absolutes,” then, are not doctrines but permanent and predestined goals established by God out of His Sovereignty.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus *said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 6:53 Jesus therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.
As an example of “doctrine” we could use; John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their deeds were evil.
Does “believing in Jesus” nullify the fact that you must be born again? Does it cancel out the fact that we MUST be born of the water and of the Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God? Certainly not! What will exempt us from fulfilling the purpose of God. Will grace? Will faith? Will God’s mercy or His Love exempt us from doing His will. Will “being saved?”
2Tim 1:9 who has saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10 but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher.
God “saved us” and then “He called us” according to His Purpose AND Grace. This is at least boardering on an “absolute” and it certainly doesn’t suggest an exemption from responsibility.
Every science has certain fixed standards that are absolutes and essential to that science. For example; Gravity has many absolutes that cannot be nullified by man. In every area of education and learning, the best place to begin is with the absolutes. As an example, mathematics is loaded with absolutes that are the same the world around and cannot be modified. To learn mathematics, we begin by learning the absolutes and that saves us a lot of grief later on in our study. Two times two is always four the world around and even in space. If we modify this absolute we will suffer the consequences of ignorance and shame. The square root of 16 is always 4.
It is amazing that in Christianity these absolutes are often times just modified or ignored. For example; No one can come unless the Father draw them. When He, the Spirit of truth comes, He will lead you into all truth. He has been with you but He shall be in you! In the New Testament there are hundreds of these absolutes. These truths are the same for all time and for the whole world around and they never vary. You MUST be born again is one of these absolutes. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God is another absolute.
This is exactly why these “Absolutes” and God’s Eternal Purpose must be presented at the very forefront of the gospel and be the overriding theme as a constant in every message. The assembly of believers must recognize their personal responsibility at the very onset of their initial experience. For example; everyone is expected to do the will of God.
“I would do the will of God if I knew it but I don’t know what His will is” does not cancel out the requirement. Why? Because God has given us all the provision so we can know!
Mat 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.
ONLY those who do the will of God will enter and participate in the Kingdom of God! This is another “absolute” that man has attempted to change. Will John 3:16 nullify this eternal fact? Of course not! When this is so clear, how is it that preachers can boldly declare that all that is necessary to enter the Kingdom is to accept Jesus as your personal Savior or just believe something about Jesus. Even those who are “born again” must also do the will of God to enter the Kingdom of God. Therefore, it is the “absolutes” that establishes the qualifications, the standards and the requirements to enter the Kingdom of God and not just isolated verses that are taken out of the context of the “absolutes.”
In the next restoration it will be essential that we keep these “absolutes” as the stabilizing factor in all our outreach and church programs. Why? Man’s point of view in evangelism is certainly NOT God’s point of view for eternity. In fact, the two are not just incompatible but in many cases they are in direct conflict. This approach to evangelism is even deceptive because it presents the “gospel” in a less than a truthful light. Why?
Luke 14:25 Now great multitudes were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
If Jesus’ goal was to build a big church, He certainly wouldn’t evangelize with a message like that! After all, we must entice them into our group by offering them the freebies and the bargains. Of course that is “evangelism from man’s point of view.” The answer to this we generally hear is this; “But, brother, we just want to get souls saved and NOT to make disciples.” “Making disciples is somebody else’s calling.” Our question is this; Are there several different groups? One group are “saved” and another group are “disciples” and then there is another group that are called “ministers” and another called “leaders” or “Bishops” or “Doctors of Divinity?” Or, possibly, could everybody just be members of His body, which is made up of disciples?
It seems incredible that these absolutes can be ignored and treated as options in the visible church. Why is that even possible? The common concept is that “grace” or “faith” has overshadowed everything else and has replaced these absolutes. Now, some say, all that is necessary is that we believe something about Jesus, confess our faith and we are “saved.” Since we are “saved” nothing else matters.
Our thesis for this study is that the New Covenant, the Kingdom of God, a Kingdom of Priests, God’s Eternal Purpose, the Glorious Church and hundreds of other “standards” are clearly revealed as God’s Absolutes and cannot be altered or modified in any way. God’s Word stands and it is impossible to change it, even though many have tried and built denominations around the change! It is these absolutes that are essential to be established as the canopy of truth that overshadows and controls every doctrine of the Church He is building. We ignore or deviate from these Absolutes at our own peril.
If these “absolutes” were the canopy of truth over every denomination and every doctrine had to be positioned under and agree with these “absolutes” then every church would have the same essential doctrines. The hodgepodge of theories, concepts, traditions, customs and doctrines attempt to nullify the absolutes. In actual fact, it is the Absolutes that nullify these human viewpoints and false doctrines that are rampant in the visible church.
Another example is; You must be born again, you must be born of the water and of the Spirit, which are absolutes. Therefore, Romans 10: 9 and 10 cannot be modified to create a salvation just based upon some “faith and an arbitrary “confession” about resurrection. In other words Romans 10:9 and 10 are certainly true but must agree with, be subjected to and certified by John 3. Therefore, some spurious “salvation” by “faith” and “confession” is just not valid UNTIL one is born again etc. There are groups that only recognize Romans 10:9 and 10 as valid for salvation. Why is that? Simply because they ignore God’s Absolutes. Then they create a concept that “born again” becomes an option, or it happens automatically, or is irrelevant because we “believe” and have accepted Jesus as “personal Savior” and are already “saved.”
But what, then, will we do with John 6 and eating His flesh and drinking His blood or there is NO LIFE IN YOU? Can there be “salvation” without the experience of His Life being exchanged for ours?
Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
The answer is a resounding NO! We are actually saved by His Life! With just a simple study of scripture it should be evident that “personal Savior” is NOT an absolute but is a concept created by man to expedite and promote “a quick and simple salvation” designed for the masses by just “making a decision.” The “absolute” is that “No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” Unless the Father draws, accepting Jesus as personal Savior is just an empty ritual that produces nothing eternal and neither is that “Bible Salvation.”
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.
This same “Gospel of the Absolutes”, when boldly preached, should then reveal and establish these eternal Truths that are eternally fixed. All the other scriptures, concepts and religious activity must first submit to and be authenticated by these absolutes. It is these “absolutes” that require the full foundations, growth, obedience, discipleship and perfection. Another “eternal absolute” is the Kingdom of God! Another is the New Covenant. Another is a functioning Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek. Another is the Glorious Church, the New Jerusalem. Jesus began His ministry preaching the first Absolute, the Kingdom of God! Why?
Luke 4:43 But He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.”
Mat 4:23 And Jesus was going about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people.
Mat 24:14 “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.
Luke 9:60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.
Act 14:21 And after they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”
Act 28:30 And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters, and was welcoming all who came to him, 31 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all openness, unhindered.
The Kingdom is mentioned 150 times in the New Testament and the “Gospel of the Kingdom” is the only authorized Gospel that is to be preached in all the world to prepare the Glorious Church for its predestined end. This “perfected church” is one of the ABSOLUTES! The question that we are presenting is this; Why has this gospel of the Kingdom and these other “absolutes” been ignored and hidden for centuries by the visible churches? Multitudes of people, in the largest majority of “Christian churches,” have never even heard the True Gospel of God? The next question is this; How can “Christian ministers” say the end will soon come and the first 3 1/2 years of the great Tribulation is upon us when the Gospel of the Kingdom of God has not been preached in all the world and to every nation?
I am guessing that this “absolute” is ignored or not considered relevant because of a doctrine that declares that “we are already saved by grace through faith.” For many pastors the “Gospel of Grace” has superceded the “Gospel of the Kingdom.” However, this “gospel of the Kingdom MUST be preached” before the “end time” will come. Why? This Gospel of the Kingdom is an “absolute.” The question is this; Does the “gospel of grace” overshadow the Kingdom or does the Gospel of the Kingdom overshadow every other gospel?
This confusion about the “absolutes” revolves around the popular substitute “gospel” called the “Gospel of Salvation.” This “gospel” has replaced the “Gospel of the Kingdom” in nearly all churches. Since the scriptures are VERY clear about the “Gospel of the Kingdom,”
(an absolute) it must be assumed that this substitution was deliberate. The “gospel of salvation” is only mentioned once (in Ephesians one) and is NOT an absolute but part of a statement of remembrance. With nearly 250 verses speaking about the Kingdom in the New Testament, this nearly universal ignorance appears to be a very serious breach of responsibility among the professional ministries.
If we examine a few of the “substitute gospels” that have been preached we may recognize why the visible church is in such a pitiful condition.
My wife and I were involved with Christian Science for 15 1/2 years. This “religion” was neither Christian nor was it a science. Rather, it was a religious philosophy that used “Science and Heath with Key to the Scriptures” by Mary Baker Eddy and the KJV of the Bible as its basis. It was a mixture of oriental religions, positive confessions, and faith in a system that denied the efficacy of the blood of Jesus to cleanse from sin. She boldly wrote that the blood of Jesus was no more efficacious to cleanse from sin when it flowed in His veins or when it was shed on the cursed cross.
Of course this is a extreme example of a “Christian” philosophy replacing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. However, it is clear that various groups have chosen some form of “Christian philosophy,” of one kind or another, to replace the Gospel of the Kingdom. Since they use the word “Christian” in their philosophy, many souls who attend these meetings, actually think the message is “Christian.” My wife and I, along with several thousand people, were deceived this way for many years. A few years after we were converted the church closed and I bought that building, which was new, where we started our first Christian church assembly.
philosophy >noun (pl. philosophies) 1 the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence. 2 the theories of a particular philosopher. 3 a theory or attitude that guides one’s behavior. 4 the study of the theoretical basis of a branch of knowledge. -Greek philosophia ‘love of wisdom’
This “religious philosophy” was based upon eating from the Tree of Knowledge and eating the fruit that would make one wise. However, as I look back over some of the thousands of messages I have heard over the last 40 years, in various “Christian” churches and in many conferences, it is clear that many were just spouting a Christian philosophy. The fact that they read a verse or referred to the Bible may confuse the issue but the essence was just another philosophy based upon some fundamental knowledge. Is “knowledge” then wrong? It depends upon the source of the knowledge and whether the knowledge flows out of a higher or a lower life. Any “knowledge” from the earth realm will never be an absolute because it always varies from place to place and from denomination to denomination. Every time the natural man adds an a personal opinion to the “gospel,” it is generally their particular philosophy.
Another group we were connected to used the “Doctrines” they had derived from scripture as the basis of each message and as a basis to determine Christian Values. The statement was this; The “Doctrines” are the bones in the Body of Christ and without the bones the body is just a mass of jelly that cannot stand. They had assembled 19 “doctrine books.” Of course we are not saying there is no place for “doctrines” but that the Body of Christ can only function correctly because of the Divine Life it has received and because of the Head directing it! It cannot function correctly just because of holding correct doctrines. Doctrines change from time to time and from place to place and cannot be considered as absolutes! Even if we have assembled all correct doctrines but have not received HIS LIFE, the body is still dead and without a valid function. The “teaching” of their disciples to prepare them to become ministers was based upon their knowledge of the doctrines. Their qualifications to minister was based upon knowing and holding to the accepted doctrines “so that we all say the same thing.”
Of course these things cannot be condemned as wrong but is this the way God designed the church to function? Is this the authentic “Christian” way?
In addition to these systems, some complete religious movements are based upon a culture and upon various traditions that have been handed down from previous leaders. These “traditions” may not be evil but many are not even “Christian.” How could that be true? That is because the source of these traditions, and the culture that followed, was based upon human opinion and the leanings of the natural man toward religious concepts. The natural man is only compatible to and capable of a natural religion. The natural man living in a certain culture adapts to a natural religion whether it is called Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheism or Judaism. But is Judaism just a natural religion since it was given by God at Mount Sinai? Yes! Why? Because the Law made nothing perfect and there was no provision made for a new creation person who is born of God which is one of the “absolutes.” The Old Covenant Law was designed for the natural man and NOT for the new species that will fulfill God’s Eternal Purpose.
But how can these confusing things be determined to be “Christian” or non-Christian if we do not have standards or absolutes by which we can evaluate them? The question is this; Are the “true” standards set by Christian philosophy or Bible doctrines or by a religious culture and tradition? No! The “standards” must be set by God’s absolutes!
That is the theme of this document and the basis of recognizing the progressive revelation of God’s Eternal Purpose. In order to identify this “process” we will establish a very simple time line by starting with the Old Covenant given to Israel at Mount Sinai.
At that time the Old Covenant was given because Israel would not or could not ascend upon Mount Sinai, hear God’s voice, keep His existing Covenant and obey His Voice. IF Israel could have dwelt in God’s Presence, heard His voice and obeyed, there would have been no need of the Old Covenant. God’s revealed purpose at Mount Sinai was to make all of Israel a Kingdom of Priests. This “ascension into the Presence of almighty God” would have been a life changing event for Israel but because they were just natural men they were terrified and did not go up the mountain.
Jer 7:21 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh. 22 “For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. 23 “But this is what I commanded them, saying, ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you.’ 24 “Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. 25 “Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets, daily rising early and sending them. 26 “Yet they did not listen to Me or incline their ear, but stiffened their neck; they did evil more than their fathers.
They refused God’s way and His process and therefore they could only remain as just natural men and natural women of the Adam species. For that reason God gave them the Old Covenant that was designed for the natural man. This Old Covenant was a substitute method of doing God’s will but within the natural limitations of the natural man who only existed after the species of first Adam. Since this “species” was limited to outward things, because they were only outward individuals, the Law and the Old Covenant had to focus upon the outward things and things they could do. For that reason the Law, the sacrifices, the offerings, the feasts, new moons, Sabbath days, food and drink and things like these were the best the natural, outward man could do to please God.
To understand the short comings of this Old Covenant it is necessary to understand the total reasoning of the Book of Hebrews. The Book of Hebrews explains why the Hebrews could not fulfill the purpose of God under the Old Covenant. For one thing the provisions of the Old Covenant could not bring anyone to perfection! Therefore, they could not meet God’s requirements, nor fulfill His purpose, nor could they rule over the world yet to come! Therefore, they could not fulfill God’s Eternal Purpose which He purposed before the world was!
In addition to that, the Law could perfect no one. The sacrifices could not take away sin, the blood of bulls and goats could not cleanse the conscious. The Priest after the Order of Aaron, who were all natural men, were so limited that they could bring no one to perfection.
Therefore, a monumental change must take place among men to radically change the natural man to become a completely new man who is spiritual. For this process of transformation to take place, God made a completely New Covenant in which everything that was lacking in the Old Covenant would now be supplied within the comprehensive provision of the New Covenant.
The problem was that the natural man, after the first Adam, could not participate in the New Covenant. Why? Because, the New Covenant required a new species of man to meet its qualifications and its demands. The “demands of the Kingdom” require the complete New Covenant provision and a new species of person. Therefore, it is necessary that the old species die, be buried and a completely new species of man be created that had the same resurrected Life of Christ Jesus! This becomes the “ABSOLUTE” that is the open door to the Christian Life. The three “births” in John 3 is the key to the functioning of the new species of man. Since only a new species of man can participate in the New Covenant and the Kingdom of God, the requirement to just begin is “YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.” This is an “ABSOLUTE” and precedes our other preparation to participate in the full provision of the New Covenant and, of course, the Kingdom of God.
Therefore, the New Covenant is designed to become a wide door into the Kingdom of God, not just to a basic salvation. For that reason, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Why? “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” ONLY that which is born of the Spirit can participate in the Kingdom Governmental dimensions of eternity! That which is ONLY born of the flesh is hostile so is forbidden from participation. Still, this prohibition of entering the Kingdom also exists for those who have NOT been born of the water.
Of course these three “births” do not carry much weight in the visible “Christian” church because, to them, that is certainly an option and NOT an “absolute.” Why? Because, they say, that everything takes place at Calvary and not in some action later.
Unless one is born of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God, is still rather abstract and is, for the most part, ignored. So why is this ‘birth” essential to entering into the Kingdom of God? The excuse we generally hear is this; Born again, born of water and born of the Spirit is all the same thing and just means we are “saved.” However, the context is “entering the Kingdom of God” and not being saved.
The lack of these three births forms a concrete barrier to further advancement into the Kingdom Dimension! It is the transformation inherent within New Covenant provision that removes this “VEIL / BARRIER” to the next dimension. Therefore, until we are experiencing this New Inward Dimension we are just limited to the Old Covenant provision. This Old Covenant provision is identified as totally inadequate for the Christian Church to participate in the Kingdom or to fulfill the Eternal Purpose of God. Why? The Old Covenant could not bring the church to perfection and for that reason could not produce the Glorious Church that He will present to Himself in the “end time” (during the first half of the great tribulation) as is revealed in Revelation 19.
The picture we want to present is this; There is this narrow door (veil) into this next realm that we anticipate is the next restoration. This “VEIL” is securely closed and there is NO access though this veil for the natural man. This “second veil” was never torn! This door- “this impenetrable barrier-“ is the New Covenant and ONLY New Covenant Christians have access through that door. ENTERING the Kingdom of God is directly related to passing through this “Impenetrable Door.” Born of the water and Born of the Spirit” is directly related to our access through this “door” and the full experience of the New Covenant is God’s method. Why? Because that is directly related to “entering the Kingdom of God.” The Kingdom Realm begins on the OTHER side, (the Holy Place side) of this “Barrier / Veil / Door.”
If we relate this to the Tabernacle of Moses, we could say that the First Veil is the New Covenant Provision (I will forgive their sin and their iniquity I will remember no more) and the Second Veil is the fulfillment of the New Covenant Provision and provides access to the Seven Spirits of God/ to the internal Kingdom/ to the Priesthood /to the Lampstand / to the Showbread and into the Holy Place Realm where our “priesthood” function begins. The “priesthood function” is the beginning of the next phase of our perfection / maturity. Revelation 2 and 3 portrays this process in words! The full provision of the New Covenant is this;
Isa 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob,” declares the LORD. 21 “And as for Me, this is My covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit which is upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, (the Redeemer) shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your offspring, nor from the mouth of your offspring’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from now and forever.”
The reason we place the “experience” of the full New Covenant provision there is because that “VEIL” opens into a 100% Realm of 100% Spirit. (The seven Spirits of God) Why is that important? Because experiential Christianity is an open door to this incredible “Spirit Realm” that we read about in 1 Corinthians 2. True Christianity (Lampstand) and its Priesthood function can ONLY be related to this invisible but Spiritual realm of 100% Spirit! Why? That is because the Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek which is 100 % Spirit!
1Cor 2:9 but just as it is written, “THINGS WHICH EYE HAS NOT SEEN AND EAR HAS NOT HEARD, AND which HAVE NOT ENTERED THE HEART OF MAN, ALL THAT GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM.” 10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words. 14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15 But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no man.
The natural man simply cannot accept the things of the Spirit of God. Why? He cannot comprehend anything in that realm and truly spiritual things are just foolishness to him! These “spiritual dimensions” are beyond his ability to understand! This is another absolute! Could it, then, be possible that some believers or even “elders,” who are good members of the visible church, are just “natural men” and can understand nothing spiritual? Of course, this is very evident everywhere, and this presents a tremendous problem, even among natural pastors. Why? Because they CANNOT be New Covenant believers and therefore, cannot be true “Christians.”
2Cor 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, 6 who also made us adequate as servants of a New Covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
Attempting to divorce the New Covenant from the ministry of the Spirit is extremely ignorant. Why? That is because the New Covenant provides for the coming of the Holy Spirit as an internal reality and is one of the “absolutes.”
John 14:16 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you.
It is this part of the New Covenant that opens the door to this current “church dispensation” and the coming of the Holy Spirit in this radically new way of abiding in us. Our recent emphasis upon the “inner Life” of the “new inner man” and the “new species” is directly related to the New Covenant provision.
1John 2:27 And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him.
This wonderful provision could NOT be possible before the New Covenant was established in His blood at Calvary. Why? That is because NOTHING in the Old Covenant was able to “put away sin” or make provision for the new inner Life or the new species of man.
Heb 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Luke 22:19 And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
Heb 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a New Covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
Heb 8:6 But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second. 8 For finding fault with them, He says, “BEHOLD, DAYS ARE COMING, SAYS THE LORD, WHEN I WILL EFFECT A NEW COVENANT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AND WITH THE HOUSE OF JUDAH; 7 For if that first Covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second.
All those who ignore the New Covenant and its multiple and comprehensive provisions, are left ONLY with the Old Covenant and its inadequate provisions, which is entirely helpless to benefit a “Christian” church. However, there are many visible churches that have never made the transition entirely to the New Covenant. This is the exact reason there is such a pitiful expression of Christ, the Living and Abiding Word of God, in the visible realm. Why has this happened? Simply because they have ignored the coming of the Holy Spirit, as an inward reality, and His dispensation which is one of the provision of the New Covenant. It is by this rejection that they have cut themselves off from the New Covenant Priesthood after the Order of Melchizedek.
The New Covenant IS the Doorway to an incredible Spiritual Dimension of 100% SPIRIT that is essential for us to participate in the Kingdom of God and to fulfill God’s Purpose for this dispensation. However, this Spiritual Dispensation during the church age (the Lampstand) is just seen in the Holy Place dimension that is 100% illuminated by only the Seven Spirits of God.
In this Spiritual Dimension, the outer and the natural man will have been totally rectified and will have transitioned to become “a tent” in which the New Man dwells. This transition to “tent” is the product of experiencing all of the basic foundations that are essential to participate in the full New Covenant Provision. This “dimension” is limited to this New Species of Man that is of the exact same species as our Great High Priest who functions in this Holy Place Realm. This “TENT,” called the “Sanctuary” in the Tabernacle of Moses, represents the outer men, bodies, that have just become “tents” in which to dwell. All our “Adam instincts and rebellion” have been overcome. These “tents” have no “better” ideas or opinions or modifications to suggest nor do they have any desire to alter God’s Infallible requirements or His ways.
2Cor 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. 4 For indeed while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened, because we do not want to be unclothed, but to be clothed, in order that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5 Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge.
A careful study of these verses should reveal two elements,(1) the “tent” and (2) the person who lives in that “tent.” The “tent” has just become a covering so that the new inner man is not exposed or made “naked.” Of course, one day that “tent” will be removed and when that event comes, we must have a building from God, our dwelling from heaven, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens!
2Cor 5:2 For indeed in this house (tent) we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; 3 inasmuch as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked.
From this “word picture” the Tabernacle of Moses takes on a whole new perspective. Not only is our body to be a temple of the Holy Spirit but it should ONLY be a “tent” prepared for the habitation of God by the Spirit. The death and burial of the old man and the valid existence of the New Life, New Man, New Species, living in this “tent” requires a transformation that ONLY the Outer Court preparations {foundations} can provide. Losing the characteristics of the human nature to become a “tent” with no opinion is called “CHRISTIANITY.” These “preparations” are directly related to the full experience New Covenant. Since only the New Species of Man can have access to or function in the Kingdom Dimension, it seems clear that this realm is the Holy Place Realm in which we find the Lampstand Church being taught by our Great High Priest.
We have identified this “Realm” as 100 % Spirit and 100% Spiritual because the only illumination is the Seven Spirits of God! There can be no one in this “realm” that has not experienced these three births. Why?
John 3:6 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
NOTHING of the flesh has access to the Kingdom or the Holy Place realm.
John 3:7 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The wind (pneum.-Spirit) blows (pneo- breaths) where it (He) wishes and you hear the sound (phone- voice) of it (Him) , but do not know where it (He) comes from and where it (He) is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
The literal translation of John 3:7 could be “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 “The Spirit breaths where He wishes and you hear the voice of Him , but do not know where He comes from and where He is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
This definition of “born of the Spirit” is the most accurate because it was given by Jesus who fully understood that “realm.” Still, this is terribly abstract for us because this seems impossible that we could “breath or move” in that invisible realm with such freedom and with so much mystery. However, we should remember that this new Species of man, who is born of the Spirit, is quite different from the “man” we are failure with and is not limited to the physical activity of the outward man. It requires a radical transition just to think in those realms of the Spirit where we could move from dimension to dimension so mysteriously. However, according to what Jesus said, this IS normal Christianity for those who are “born of the Spirit!”
IF THIS IS NORMAL CHRISTIANITY, then what we see in the visible realm is all SUB-CHRISTIAN or PRE-CHRISTIAN. Or possibly “PITIFUL CHRISTIANITY!” Nevertheless, the Glorious Church, without spot or wrinkle, holy and blameless, that He will present to Himself as the perfected bride of Christ, will measure up to God’s Absolutes.
Today, it seems obvious, that for Jesus to return for the “first fruit harvest”, the Glorious Church, The Perfected Bride of Christ, that a little more work needs to be done. But isn’t His return dependent upon Israel and the Great Tribulation like everybody say? No! He is returning
[in His secret coming] for His bride, the perfected church, the Glorious Church and then the wedding feast will begin that we see in Revelation 19. He is NOT returning for a pitiful church with all kinds of blemishes, frail, beat down, defeated and half committed to Him but also sleeping around! The High Priest was forbidden to marry any profane woman.
Lev 21:13 ‘And he shall take a wife in her virginity. 14 ‘A widow, or a divorced woman, or one who is profaned by harlotry, these he may not take; but rather he is to marry a virgin of his own people;
2Cor 11:2 For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.
Song of Solomon 6:8 “There are sixty queens and eighty concubines, And maidens (virgins) without number; :9 But my dove, my perfect one, is unique (one) : She is her mother’s only daughter; She is the pure child of the one who bore her. The maidens (virgins) saw her and called her blessed, The queens and the concubines also, and they praised her, saying,10 ‘Who is this that grows like the dawn, As beautiful as the full moon, As pure as the sun, As awesome as an army with banners?’
At the Wedding Feast of the Lamb there will be a huge number of invited guests but there will ONLY be one bride. Innumerable number of “virgins” and “queens” and “concubines” and Old Testament saints will be present but they are NOT the bride.
Rev 19:1 After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 And it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 And he *said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he *said to me, “These are true words of God.”
If we miss or ignore the fact that the “bride” is NOT “the great multitude” or that the “great multitude” is NOT the bride but just invited guests, we may miss or ignore that all this preparation is essential to God’s Eternal Purpose! Why? This is necessary to prepare a Kingdom of Priests, a Glorious Church, many manifested Sons, a Bride for Christ, a Body for the High Priest who will do the will of God and a Government for the World yet to Come. Why? All this is to fulfill the Eternal Purpose of God, which He purposed BEFORE the world was, in all eternity past.
This IS Absolute, non-negotiable, not open for modification, permanent, already predestined, established, fixed, and God will accept nothing less! If we refuse the preparation, we automatically refuse the glory. Our ultimate goal is NOT the Holy Place but the Most Holy Place, the Mountain of God. Anything less MUST be acknowledged as a failure.
We should begin to define “OVERCOMING” in that dimension!