covenant

Richard K. Murray

Attorney at Law

200-A West Gordon Street

Dalton, Ga 30720

Phone 706 272-3289

Fax 706 226-2225

Table of Contents

I.What is a “covenant?”Page 2

II.Who makes covenants?Page 3

III.How are covenants made?Page 3

IV.What is the true meaning of New Covenant communion?Page 9

V.What is the master key to the New Covenant?Page 11

VI.Why is the “gut” so important for our covenant walk?Page 20

VII.Why did Jesus’ soul have to descend into Hades to complete His covenant sacrifice for us?Page 26

VIII.How do we walk in the New Covenant?Page 59

IX.What are the battle lines of the New Covenant?Page 65

X.The New Covenant Summarized.Page 106

THE NEW COVENANT

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the

disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave

it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed

for many for the remission of sins.

Matt. 26:26-28

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my

laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them.

Heb. 10:16

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away

the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit

within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do

them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I

will be your God.

Ezek. 36:26-28.

What is a “covenant?”

Dictionary definition: “to agree, be of one mind, literally to come together.”

Hebrew “berith” (Strong’s 1285): “compact made by passing between pieces of flesh.” From “bara” (1254): “to cut or loose.”

Greek “diatheke” (Strong’s 1242): “covenant, will, testament.” From “diatithemai” (1303): “to put apart.” This again refers to the putting apart of animal flesh for the making of a covenant.

A “blood” covenant is the total and permanent giving of one’s self to another for mutual identity, benefit and blessing. Be warned! A blood covenant is nothing like a modern day contract. A contract legally binds. A covenant spiritually releases. A contract is enforced by the power of the law. A covenant is enforced by the power of the spirit. A contract imposes duties. A covenant imparts privileges. Parties to a contract remain separate and distinct. Parties to a covenant merge and unify. Contracts are made to be broken. Covenants are unbreakable, unshakeable and unmistakable. Contracts are full of exclusions and exceptions so that either party can “get out of it.” Covenants are full of inclusions and assurances so that neither party will ever want to get out of it.

Covenant is a "gut" revelation. We can appreciate it with our minds, but we must catch its fire in our gut. Contracts are for the mind. Covenants are for the gut.

II.

Who makes covenants?

All ancient societies “cut” covenants. Modern “civilization” has dismissed covenant thinking as primitive. Yet, it is still deeply imprinted in the collective subconsciousness of mankind. I believe this covenant mind set is the "smash" of original Christianity John G. Lake speaks of below:

Christianity did not come to the world to apologize for its existence or to beg a place to live. It came as heaven’s champion: it has the champion soul. “It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heal” (Gen. 3:15). That champion consciousness is in the soul of the Christian. Being born of God, he is champion of the son of God and a demonstration of His salvation. He is the champion of God. He cannot be anything else. “As he is, so are we in this world.” (1 Jn. 4:17). . .I fear sometimes that we moderns somehow have lost the spirit of original Christianity. We have lost the smash of it. We have lost the overcoming of it. We are begging the devil for a place in the world, apologizing for our faith in God, trying to conform our religion to the mind of the world.

John G. Lake.

Today covenants are still “cut” in Africa, China and Borneo.

Explorer David Livingstone and reporter Henry Stanley “cut” covenant with 50 different tribes.

The Bible is a book of covenants: Old Testament = Old Covenant; New Testament = New Covenant.

Abraham (Gen. 15 and 17).

Every Israelite cut covenant with God (Jer. 34:18-20).

New Covenant (Matt. 26:26-28; Heb. 6:13-20; 7:22; 8; 9; 10:16-23; 12:24).

Many others: Noah and God; Moses and God; David and Jonathan, etc.

III.

How are covenants made? (All ceremonies are basically the same with only minor variations. The outline below is adapted from an outline in the Kenneth Copeland Reference Bible.)

Parties enter it based on respective strengths and weaknesses. (Warriors cut covenants with farmers; swordsmen cut covenants with bowmen).

Agreement was binding for at least eight generations (i.e. stronger than death).

“Blood is thicker than water (or milk)” originally referred to covenant blood, not family relations.

Chosen representatives meet at covenant site.

Perfect animal chosen and split down the backbone.

Sacrificial halves are parted leaving a walkway of blood.

Representatives stand at opposite ends of the blood.

Representatives exchange coats, weapons and oaths (of shared friends, shared enemies, shared strength and shared identity).

Bloodwalk done twice by each party in a figure 8 while reaffirming their vows to God and each other while standing in the blood. (Blessings and cursings pronounced for keeping\breaking covenant).

Each party cuts their own wrist or hand.

Parties mingle their blood together (wrist to wrist, or mingled in a cup for both to drink).

Scarring is cut so as to be permanent.

The two become one in name (ex. “Williams” and “Burg” tribes become “Williamsburg” tribe).

End result are friends who stick closer than brothers.

Parties share covenant meal by feeding each other wine and bread.

Parties plant a tree or make a memorial of stones as a monument to the covenant.

The covenant mind set:

I hold you in my mind.

I crown you.

You are ever before me.

I am always for you.

I live in constant reality of the bond between us.

It is as if I am, at this moment, standing in the blood swearing.

I am - never I did or I will in the future, always now.

I am planning and plotting ways to bless you and surprise you as I keep the covenant terms.

Always action. Knock. I’ll open. Seek. You’ll find me. Ask. You’ll receive from me.

Consider Stanley’s spear(pg. 11-13 The Blood Covenant by E. W. Kenyon).

“One illustration of Stanley’s might help us to grasp the significance.

When Stanley was seeking Livingstone, he came in contact with a powerful equatorial tribe. They were very war-like. Stanley was not in condition to fight them. Finally, his interpreter asked him why he didn’t make a strong covenant with them. He asked what it meant and was told that it meant drinking each other’s blood. Stanley revolted from such a rite, but conditions kept growing worse, until finally the young man asked him again why he did not cut the covenant with the chieftain of the tribe. Stanley asked what the result of such a covenant would be, and the interpreter answered. ‘Everything the chieftain has will be yours if you need it.’

This appealed to Stanley and he investigated. After several days of negotiation, they arrived at the covenant. First, there was a parley in which the chieftain questioned Stanley as to his motives and standing, and his ability to keep the covenant. The next step was an exchange of gifts. The old chieftain wanted Stanley’s new white goat. Stanley was in poor health and goat’s milk was about all he could take for nourishment, so it was very hard for him to give this up, but the chieftain seemed to want nothing else. So he finally gave up the goat, and the old chieftain handed him his seven-foot copper-wound spear. Stanley thought he had been beaten, but he found that wherever he went in Africa with that spear, everybody bowed to him and submitted to him.

The old chieftain then brought in one of his princes. Stanley led forth one of his men, from England. Then the priest came forward with a cup of wine, made an incision in the young black’s wrist, and let the blood drip into the cup of wine. He cut a like incision in the wrist of the young Englishman, and let his blood also drip into the cup of wine. Then the wine was stirred and the bloods were mixed. The priest handed the cup to the Englishman and he drank part of it and then handed it to the black and he drank the rest of it. Next, they rubbed their wrists together so that their bloods mingled. Now, they had become blood brothers.

These two men were only substitutes, but they had bound Stanley and the chieftain, and Stanley’s men and the chieftain’s soldiers into a blood brotherhood that was indissoluble. Then gun-powder was rubbed into the wound, so that when it healed there would be a black mark to indicate that they were covenant men. The next step in this ceremony was the planting of trees, trees that were known for their long life. After the planting of the trees, then the chieftain stepped forward and shouted, ‘Come, buy and sell with Stanley, for he is our blood brother.’ A few hours before, Stanley’s men had to stand on guard about their bales of cotton cloth and trinkets, but now he could open the bales and leave them on the street and nothing was disturbed. For anyone to steal from their blood brother, Stanley, was a death penalty.

The old chieftain couldn’t do enough for his new found brother. Stanley couldn’t understand the sacredness of it, and years later wondered about it.”

Consider this basic imagery is throughout the Bible.

Abraham’s blood covenant with God (Gen. 15 and 17). God walks through the blood first, then Abraham is called to walk through the covenant for the rest of his life.

Every Israelite performed this ceremony (Jer. 34:18-20).

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them. Heb. 10:16.

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; And having an high priest over the house of God; Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) Heb. 10:16-23. (We walk through Jesus’ blood between the torn veil of His torn flesh).

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Heb. 6:13-20.

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matt. 26:26-28.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. Eph. 2:10-22. (Jesus’ body being at the cross symbolically cut in twain (two), we now have access to the father through Jesus’ blood).

Consider our New Covenant ceremony with Jesus.

Covenant was between Father the Creator and Son the Redeemer to reconcile God and man. (Jn. 3:16; Heb. 9:24-28; 1 Jn. 4:9, 14-15).

Jesus represented God as the Son of God. (Jn. 5:19-25).

Jesus represented man as the Son of Man. (Jn. 1:51; 3:13; 5:26-27; Heb. 9:24).

Jesus also represented the flesh and blood sacrifice. (Heb. 9:28; 10; Rev. 5:6-14).

Jesus exchanged His coat of righteousness for our coat of sin. (Is. 53:10; 2 Cor. 5:21; Col. 2:11).

Jesus was punished that we might be forgiven. (Is. 53:4-5).

Jesus was wounded that we might be healed (Is. 53:4-5).

Jesus was made sin that we might be made righteous (Is. 53:10; 2 Cor. 5:21).

Jesus died our death that we might live His life (Heb. 2:9; Gal. 2:20).

Jesus was made a curse that we might be made a blessing (Gal. 3:13-14).

Jesus became poor that we might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9; 9:8).

Jesus bore our shame that we might bear His glory (Matt. 27:35-36; Heb. 2:9; 12:2).

Jesus endured our rejection that we might embrace His acceptance from the Father (Matt. 27:46-51; Eph. 1:5-6).

Jesus was cut off by death that we might be bound together with God in eternal life (Is. 53:8; 1 Cor. 6:17).

Our old man was put to death in Him that His new man might come to life in us (Rom. 6:6; Col. 3:9-10; 1 Cor. 1:30-31).

We exchanged our broken weapons for His powerful armor (Eph. 6:10-17).

We each received covenant scarring: Jesus’ stripes, hands and feet; our hearts circumcised; our blood mingled with Jesus’ blood as covenant brothers (Rom. 8:29).

We exchanged names and natures as we became Sons of God because of the Son of Man (Jn. 1:12; Matt. 18:11).

We have covenant meals continually (Lk. 22:19).

We became one with our blood brother (Jn. 15:1-7; Pr. 18:24; Col. 1:27).

The twice-made walk: God walked through the covenant blood twice, at the Cross and Pentecost; Jesus walked through once for us as the Son of Man, but we must walk through the covenant the second time with our life-long walk of faith.

IV.

What is the true meaning of New Covenant communion? 1 Cor. 11:23-31.

Bread = Jesus’ flesh = Jesus’ word (Jn. 1:1,4; Jn. 6:48-58; Lk. 4:4; Jer. 15:16; Rev. 19:11-16).

Wine = Jesus’ blood = Jesus’ spirit ("the life of the flesh is in the blood" Lev. 17:11; we are justified freely by "faith in His blood" Rom. 3:24-25).

Blood justifies (Rom. 5:9); spirit justifies (1 Cor. 6:11).

Blood sanctifies (Heb. 13:12); spirit sanctifies (1 Cor. 6:11).

Blood cleanses (1 Jn. 1:7); spirit cleanses (1 Cor. 6:11).

Blood redeems (Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7); spirit redeems (Rom. 8:2-4; Gal. 3:13-14).

We drink His blood (1 Cor. 11:24-25; Jn. 6:55-56); we drink His spirit (1 Cor. 12:13).

True covenant communion comes when we partake of Jesus’ Divine Nature within us by eating His word (flesh) and drinking His spirit (blood). It is our walking in His spirit through His word (Heb. 10:16-23; 1 Cor. 2:1,4,5,9-15). The mingling of Jesus’ blood with our blood is a covenant symbol of Jesus’ spirit being mingled with our spirits to form one new joint identity (1 Cor. 6:17).

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. Jn. 6:47-63.

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 2 Pet. 1:3-4.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. either is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Heb. 4:9-14.

And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32.

But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Jn. 4:23-24. Spirit (covenant blood) and truth (covenant word).

What is the master key to the New Covenant?

Our covenant is a who, not a what! “For I know whom I have believed” (not what). 2 Tim. 1:12.

Old Testament believers’ covenant was a what - - the written law (Gal. 2:16-21; 3:10-29; Heb. 8:6-13).

New Testament believers’ covenant is a who - - the risen Christ (Heb. 10:16-23).

We are the New Testament Ark of the Covenant which contains the divine presence of God within us. Just as the Ark of the Covenant contained and released the presence of God to guide, bless and protect Israel; so does Jesus’ covenant presence within us guide, bless and protect us.

Jesus’ Divine Nature within us (2 Pet. 1:3-4) is the way, the truth and the life. He is the covenant path to the Father through the Kingdom of God (Jn. 14:6). This covenant path is alive. Jesus’ spirit indwelling us is the “new and living way.” (Heb. 10:20).

We are in Christ (Eph. 1:3,4,7,13; Rom. 6:11; 8:1; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:13) and Christ is in us (Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:27). We walk in and through Jesus’ Divine Nature as we believe in, trust in and adhere to our joint identity. “He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him” (1 Cor. 6:17). No longer are we separate or distinct from the Lord. We are “of Him,” “in Him,” “by Him,” “with Him,” and “through Him” (1 Jn. 1:5; Eph. 1:4; 1 Cor. 1:5; Rom. 6:4; Jn. 3:17). Our “life is hid with Christ in God . . . . In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge . . . . who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ . . . . And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” (Col. 3:3; 2:3; Eph. 1:3; 2:6). This is the unity of identity Jesus came to impart to His blood brothers, His bride and His body.

Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them. Jn. 17:20-26.

Jesus came not only to substitute His death for our death, but He also came to substitute His life for our life. (Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:3-4). Thus, in the most literal sense, we have complete access to the full mind, heart, personality, gifting, strength and anointing of Jesus. This understanding unlocks the mystery of ministering in Jesus’ name. John. 14:12-14 promises believers we will do the same and greater works that Jesus did and that He will do whatever we ask in His name. Yet, billions of prayers in Jesus’ name have failed. Why? Because ministering the name of Jesus means far more than just reciting His proper name.

For the Hebrew, the “name” represents the character or nature of a person. The name is far more than what one is called. It is the fullness of who one is - - in character, nature, authority and strength. Ministering Jesus’ name means ministering His Divine Nature into the situation at hand. But, the key to this revelation is this: we don’t minister Jesus’ Divine Nature down from heaven; instead, we minister Jesus’ Divine Nature out of ourselves. This is why Christ in us is the hope of glory, not Christ outside of us. (Col. 1:27). All we have to do to access God’s Divine Nature is to “believe on the name (nature) of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.” (1 Jn. 3:23-24). Believing on Jesus Christ does not mean believing on Him apart from you up in Heaven. No, believing on Jesus is trusting that Christ indwells you and is ready, willing and able to take over any situation you confidently and aggressively yield to Him. You minister in His name as you release out of you His Divine Nature, which is the wisdom and power of God.

“Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Jn. 6:28-29. To believe on Jesus is to trust in His indwelling presence within us.

Jesus declared in John 14:12 that believers would do the same and greater works He did because He was going to the Father. We must understand what the greater works of God are. As E. W. Kenyon often pointed out, all of Jesus’ miracles during His earthly ministry were external. Men were healed, but not made righteous; fed with food but not filled with the Spirit; temporarily comforted but not eternally forgiven; touched by God but not joined with God. The point is that the “greater works” of John 14:12 came at Pentecost when God came to live within man. The greater works change man eternally on the inside - - in their minds and hearts. Sons of the devil now have the power to become sons of God. This is what the New Covenant is all about - - changing men on the inside. From this “greater” internal work, the “same” external works will also flow - - healings, miracles and deliverances. But, first let us seek the quality work of a deeply spiritual mind and heart renewed in the image of Jesus and in the knowledge of God.

What I have realized in a fresh way through this study is how often we still view God as separate and distinct from us. We still largely display the mentality that our “great faith” must bring Jesus down from heaven to bless, guide and protect us. This wrong thinking has inadvertently mutated faith from a gift into a work. If a healing takes place through a man’s prayer, we rejoice at the “man of God” whose “great faith” healed the sick (Acts 3:1-16). Then, if we pray for someone who doesn’t get healed, we beat ourselves up because we didn’t have enough faith. Without even realizing it, we have made man the issue instead of God. This is not the way true faith talks.

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach Rom. 10:6-8.

We neglect the great promise that Jesus and the kingdom of God are within us (Lk. 17:21) as a merged part of who and what we are. Jesus said that if we had true faith the small size of a mustard seed, then nothing would be impossible for us as we perform miracles (Matt. 17:20). Thus, our faith is indispensable, but it is only the trigger to the true source of power - - the Divine Nature of Christ within us (i.e. Jesus’ faith). Faith doesn’t call Jesus down from heaven. Faith does aggressively and confidently yield to Christ within us. Our faith links us to Jesus’ Divine Nature indwelling us, which then allows Jesus’ faith to do the rest. Our faith does the little thing, while God always does the big thing.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Eph. 3:20.

Faith in our union with Christ is the key which releases the works of God. Our faith’s focus must always be on the who (our indwelling Christ) and not on a what (a specific result). Once we are in conscious union with the Divine Nature, then Jesus will speak the what (the specific result) into the situation of need through us thereby releasing His faith to accomplish His good will. Our faith is only to be used to trust in our merged identity with Jesus every moment of every day. I believe that as we continually abide in this merged oneness with Jesus, we will eventually become a fully manifest Son of God so at one with God that our wills, minds and emotions are completely spirit-given and spirit-driven. Then, God’s glory will be released fully upon the earth. (Rom. 8:14-19).

Consider the following passage:

I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand Jn. 10:30-39.

We too are one with our heavenly Father, not because of our righteousness or ability to keep a covenant with God. No, our oneness with God comes from the covenant which Jesus made and kept with His heavenly Father. For years, I struggled with my faith because I was focused on my ability to remain faithful to God’s covenant. This resulted in a roller coaster spirituality where I experienced occasional highs and frequent lows. Only recently have I seen the rock solid key to unwavering faith: the object of my faith must be Jesus’ perfect faithfulness to His covenant with the Father. I can easily sink my teeth into Jesus’ constancy. No longer must I waver in my weakness. I need only trust in Jesus’ iron grip on His covenant with the Father. We are adopted into this perfect and flawless covenant by the will, grace and sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as our covenant brother.

If the Old Testament showed us anything, it showed us that no man in his own righteousness could keep a covenant with God. All Old Testament saints fell short of the glory of God because they could not keep all the law all the time. But, with the New Testament, God swore by Himself (Heb. 6:13-20) in the sending of His own Son as a new and living covenant to bless all the nations of the world. This “living covenant” is called various names in the New Testament: the logos (Jn. 1:1-18); Son of God (Jn. 3:18); Jesus Christ (Phil. 2:11); Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29, 36); Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5); the Son of Man (Matt. 18:11); the Divine Nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4); Christ in you (Col. 1:27); the Spirit of Christ that dwells in you (Rom. 8:9-11). I believe all of the above terms are synonymous with our “living covenant” we know as the Lord Jesus Christ. This living covenant presence first came externally in the form of Jesus, then later at Pentecost the same presence came to abide in us internally. The purpose of this living covenant was to provide a means whereby all men could now enter into a covenant relationship with God based not on the righteousness of fallen man, but rather on the righteousness of a risen God who loved us and gave His own self for us. Through God’s own provision, sacrifice and faithfulness, we are now able to enter into covenant adoption based on Jesus’ death and resurrected life.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Rom. 8:14-19.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Eph. 1:3-6.

Seen in this light, the Old Testament law was a tutor to lead us to the living Christ by showing us how our self-righteousness could not maintain a covenant with God (Gal. 4:1-7). Only when man was laid low by his own ineffective faith was he humbled to the point of true repentance and openness to receive a savior. Not only did this Savior (Jesus) keep the spirit of the Old Testament law perfectly for thirty years; not only did He bare the Satanic harvest of destruction our collective unbelief had sown; not only did He shed His precious blood for all men for all time; best of all, He provided His own Divine Nature to fully inhabit and merge with our inner being so that we could enter back into full relationship with the Father.

This passage takes on a new meaning when we understand that the rest that remains for the people of God is a rest from living by our own righteousness to a rest living by the indwelling righteousness of Jesus. We can even try to do great and noble spiritual endeavors, but if we do them without releasing Jesus’ indwelling nature out of us, then we have missed the mark.

It is important to relate the covenant presence of Jesus in us to the two terms used in the New Testament for the “word” of God - - logos and rhema. Simply put, rhema comes from the Greek word “rheo” (to flow) and means “to speak.” Thus, rhema is a spoken word.

Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words (rhemas) that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Jn. 14:10.

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God: Eph. 6:17.

If ye abide in me, and my words (rhemas) abide in you, ye shall ask (demand by speaking) what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Jn. 15:7.

If rhema is what the Lord is saying through us, then logos is who the Lord is in us. Logos is defined as “word,” but it is more than just that. It is the nature, character, authority, reality and personality behind the word. This is why Jesus was called “the Word” in Jn. 1:1,14. He came to reveal the Father’s true nature as speaking, revealing, communicating, blessing, empowering and loving. John 1:18 states that Jesus has “declared” the Father, which in the Greek text means to “reveal” or “expound.” Logos, as succinctly put by the World Bible Commentary, is defined as “God in His nature.” Rhema is speaking the “now” word. Logos is being the “always” word. I have known many people who could truly speak the rhema voice of God for themselves and others. Yet, these same people had little awareness or confidence in the Divine Nature of the logos which indwelt them. They speak the rhema word, but don’t rest in being the logos word. Logos, on the other hand, is the Divine Nature of Jesus which abides in the believer.

Let the word (logos) of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Col. 3:16.

In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God. And the Word (logos) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Jn. 1:1,14,12.

There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word (logos) of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Heb. 4:9-14.

Thus, logos is the indwelling word (a\k\a the living covenant, Divine Nature, indwelling Holy Spirit, Christ in you). Rhema is the verbal and creative release of our indwelling logos. A good analogy here is the bow and arrow. The bow itself is the logos (the Divine Nature). The arrow is the rhema which comes out of the logos as a spoken word of power. The bow string is our faith which allows itself to be stretched taut over the bow (our Divine Nature) so that it can propel the arrow (an anointed rhema) toward the bulls-eye. The Heavenly Father is of course the archer that strings our bow, aims our arrow and hits the target. God has given us a limitless quiver full of arrows (rhemas) of deliverance to speak into every life situation we encounter. (2 Kgs. 13:14-19; Eph. 2:10; 2 Pet. 1:3-4). These rhema arrows are a part of our logos bow and can only be used as an extension of the living word within us. It is the indwelling logos which inspires us, instructs us and empowers our confession of the rhema. Our rhemas are words of protection, blessing and healing which our indwelling logos launches out of our spirits into the situation of need. Our logos is the source of all revelation and power. Our rhema is the spoken release of that word of power.

The object of our faith is not just that the rhema we speak is true and is of God. The object of our covenant faith must be that we are one with Jesus’ Divine Nature and that we have free and continual access to Jesus’ thoughts, emotions, giftings, anointings and abilities. (1 Cor. 2:12,16; Gal. 5:22; Jn. 14:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:30). Without this proper focus, our logos bows will be warped and not able to shoot rhema arrows effectively (Ps. 78:57).

A final passage which discriminates between logos and rhema is 1 Pet. 1:23-25. Here, the logos is what is “born again” inside us to eternal life (verse 23). Two verses later, it is the rhema preached (spoken) which also “endureth forever.”

I believe we must be careful not to become too legalistic about hearing the voice of God. Jesus certainly did all that He did because He first saw or heard the Father do it. (Jn. 5:19 and 30). Yet, does this mean that the only form of communication between Jesus and the Father came in the nature of specific “dictated” word for word revelation? I don’t believe so. We primarily hear God not in word sentences, but rather in concepts, ideas, imagery and insights. As these ideas coalesce in our understanding, we can describe them with a word sentence, but the message itself is primarily pictorial, conceptual, and intuitive. The Father’s Holy Spirit indwelt Jesus at His Baptism. “I and my Father are one.” Jn. 10:30. Jesus’ Divine Nature gave Him all authority to judge (Jn. 5:22) and all authority to give life “to those whom He wishes” (Jn. 5:21).

Thus, Jesus had so merged with the Father that they shared the same mind, will and emotions. Jesus didn’t have to receive a telegram before His every move. Jesus’ logos nature gave Him unction, authority and discretion to minister as He was moved by His own compassion. I’m sure words flowed to Jesus on a regular and consistent basis, yet I’m also sure Jesus’ love led Him to act and to minister without the benefit of specific words. I know that as I prepare teachings, I don’t receive constant words of revelation about each and every source or verse to look at. I am led by my desire and confidence that the Spirit is blessing my thoughts and the works of my hand. I am not hearing the Lord dictate specific steps for me to take, but I am hearing God in the logos sense. I am confident my desire to learn a particular truth matches God’s desire for me to know it. I know God’s goodness is toward me as long as I have a good and honest heart toward him. I feel oneness in the Lord in all of this. Moreover, often I will feel a loving desire to bless people with prophetic words. I don’t always wait for a specific and definite word telling me to prophesy. I know the Lord wants to bless because the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy (Rev. 19:10). I also know my heart wants to do this out of love. Jesus’ Divine Nature within me gives me confidence that my love is Jesus’ love, my unction is Jesus’ unction, and that my authority in any situation comes entirely from the Spirit of Christ in me.

A man I greatly respect once said he seeks specific instructions from the Holy Ghost in every ministry situation. However, if he doesn’t hear specifics as to what to do, or not to do, (i.e. a check in his spirit), he then will act on his faith by standing in his logos authority which indwells him. We should always rest on being one with the Divine Nature of logos within us, and from this state of confident union seek a specific instruction for the moment. If we don’t hear specifics, then let us be Sons of God and act on our divine authority and anointing. As Smith Wigglesworth said, “If the Holy Spirit doesn’t move me, then I move the Holy Spirit.” But, even when we do act in such a case, we will later see that it was the Holy Spirit prompting us to act, just by a different non-verbal way of communication. It is here that we realize that the Holy Ghost works in us to will and to do (Phil. 2:13) and that we can lay claim to no real initiative without Him. Every time it appears our hands have grasped some great act of faith, God shows us His mighty hands were wrapped around ours strengthening and positioning our grip in the situation. Seen in this light, we truly see “Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:2).

The key to staying in the “who”ness of God versus the “what”ness of God is in knowing, understanding and applying the covenant names of God. “What”ness will always lead to dryness, barrenness and legalism. “Who”ness will always bring faith, peace, joy and communion with God.

“Yahweh” is the key covenant name for God. It was the name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Ex. 3:14). “I am that I am” is translated in the Hebrew as “Yahweh.” Yahweh is the covenant name the Jews so revered that they were hesitant to write it or speak it unless it could be done in perfect holiness. Thus, they substituted the word “Lord” for “Yahweh.” Jesus is Yahweh. He claimed the name in John 8:58, in response to which the Jews sought to stone Him (v. 59). They knew Jesus was claiming to be Yahweh and they considered it blasphemy. Praise God we don’t. “Jesus” in Hebrew is “Jehoshua” and literally means “Yahweh saves.” Jesus being Yahweh is the key to the universe, a key freely given to us as the heart of the New Covenant.

Martin Buber, a Hasidic Jew who wrote the classic I and Thou, has an interesting interpretation of “Yahweh.” Buber traces the word back to “Yah, Yahu or Yahuvah” and translates it roughly as “He, this one, this is it, oh he!” Thus, the name Yahweh is a mysterious and enthusiastic exclamation uttered in a moment of religious ecstasy. God cannot be properly named, only exclaimed. Buber streamlines the definition of “Yahweh” to be “O the one.” Yahweh, then, is an experiential response to God revealing His presence to man. This illuminates the following verse: “no man can say that Jesus is the Lord (Yahweh), but by the Holy Ghost.” (1 Cor. 12:2). This verse has always baffled me because anybody can say, “Jesus is Lord,” whether they be believer or unbeliever. But now, with Buber’s insight, I see that nobody can say “Jesus is Lord” in faith unless it is in response to a personal revelation of God’s presence to the speaker by God. When the Holy Ghost convinces us that Jesus is God, our heartfelt response will be “O the one” (Yahweh). If Buber would allow me the latitude, I think a more contemporary expression of “Yahweh” would be, “Oh, you are the one I ‘ve been waiting for - - the one I never knew I always wanted.” When Peter pleased Jesus with his confession that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus said this would be the rock upon which the church would be built (Matt. 16:15-19). The rock here was not the confession itself, but Peter’s exclamation of his experiencing God’s presence in Jesus as revealed by the Father. Without the experience of God’s presence, Peter’s confession would be meaningless. Our proper use of Jesus’ name will always be based on a “who” interaction with Him, not a “what” interaction with some idea or opinion about Him.

Yahweh is Jesus. Jesus is Yahweh. Jesus’ name is what He does. “Jesus” literally means “Yahweh saves.” Thus, you can’t say who Jesus is without also saying what He does. The “what” of God will always flow from the “who” of God. If we first focus on the “what,” we will always miss the “who.” If we first focus on the “who,” then we will always receive the “what.” I shouldn’t begin an approach to God by saying, “I need a healing or deliverance. I will ask God if it is in His will to grant my request” (i.e. my “what”). No, instead, I must set my heart on Jesus’ Divine Nature within (i.e. the “who”), then I will know Jesus as Yahweh Rapha (The Lord who heals me”). From this experience of the who (Jesus\Yahweh), I will experience His covenant action of complete healing and deliverance as a functional part of His identity. The Bible lists several covenant functions of Yahweh\Jesus as addendums to His name: Yahweh-Chezeq = “the Lord my strength” (Ps. 18:1); Yahweh-Yireh = “the Lord my provider” (Gen. 22:8-14); Yahweh-Nissi = “the Lord my victory” (Ex. 17:15); Yahweh-Rapha = “the Lord my healer” (Ex. 15:26); Yahweh-Shalom = “the Lord my peace” (Jdg. 6:24); Yahweh-Tsidkeenu = “the Lord my righteousness” (Jer. 23:6; 33:16); Yahweh-Mekaddishkem = “the Lord my sanctifier” (Lev. 20:17); Yahweh-Saboath = “the Lord of armies” (1 Sam. 1:3; 281 times); Yahweh-Shammah = “the Lord is present” (Ezek. 48:35); Yahweh-Elyon = “the Lord most high” (Ps. 7:17; 47:2); Yahweh-Rohi = “the Lord my shepard” (Ps. 23:1); Yahweh-Hoseenu = “the Lord my maker” (Ps. 95:6); and Yahweh-Elohay = “the Lord my God” (Zech. 14:5). Meditate on these covenant names daily. Confess them daily. Experience them daily. Become them daily.

VI.

Why is the “gut” so important for our covenant walk?

Jesus said that our belly is the source of our spiritual life.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Jn. 7:38.

In the above verse, the word for “belly” is “koilia.” It denotes the womb, stomach and innermost being, but it can also refer to our entire physical cavity. Interestingly, koilia is the basis for the Latin word for “heaven,” which is “coelum.” Thus, heaven’s touch point in us is in our gut\belly.

In the Old Testament, the “gut” was the spiritual center of man. The King James translates this area as “reins,” which in the Hebrew is “kilyah” and literally means “kidneys.” The Jews believed that “the seat of the will, emotions, mind and spiritual powers is often found in the general area of the gastro-intestinal tract.” Our Father Abraham: Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, by Marvin Wilson. More specifically, the kidneys represented both the physical and spiritual center of man. Even in animals, the kidneys and blood were not eaten because they represented the spiritual life of the animal and thus were sacred as belonging only to God. (Lev. 3:10-11; 17:11). Consider the following Old Testament verses stressing the significance of the kidney\reins\belly:

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly. Prov. 20:27.

I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons. Ps. 16:7.

Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. Ps. 26:2.

Thou hast planted them (the wicked), yea, they have taken root: they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit: thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins. Jer. 12:2.

. . .Thou hast possessed my reins. Ps. 139:13.

. . .my reins shall rejoice. Pr. 23:16.

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Pr. 3:7-8.

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his (Jesus’) loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his (Jesus’) reins. Is. 11:5. (What a great verse that shows how Jesus used His gut to take hold of His covenant with the Father!)

I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Jer. 17:10.

10.

Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. Ezek. 3:1-3.

11.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Ps. 51:6. (“Inward parts” here is “tuwchah” and is another word for “kidneys.” It comes from “tachah,” which means “to stretch a bow, as an archer.” This is a great confirmation of the logos as the bow of inward revelation which releases rhema arrows of deliverance.

12.

Then said I (David), Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart (literally “in the midst of my bowels”). Ps. 40:7-8.

In the New Testament, the importance of belly\kidneys\reins is again affirmed and stressed.

. . .all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Rev. 2:23.

(The Greek word here for “reins” is “nephros,” which again literally means “kidneys.” Greek scholar W. E. Vines states, “The will and affections were regarded as having their seat in the kidneys.”).

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Col. 3:12.

(The word “bowels” is the Greek “splancha.” W. E. Vines states the “splancha” as the seat of the more violent passions for the Greek, but for the Hebrew it is the seat of the tender affections. Seen in this light, living out of the gut will produce lusty sinners in the unredeemed, but gut living for the redeemed will produce fervent and tenderhearted champions of God. Also see 2 Cor. 6:12; 7:15; Phil. 1:8; Phlm. 7,12,20; 1 Jn. 3:17.)

And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. Matt. 14:14.

(When the above passage says that Jesus was “moved with compassion” to heal the multitude, the Greek word is “splanchnizomai,” the verb form of “splancha” discussed in 2 above. Splanchnizomai means to be moved by ones’ bowels or inward parts to perform some function. This word is frequently recorded of Christ towards the multitudes and towards individual sufferers. See Matt. 9:36; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Mk. 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; Lk. 7:13; 10:33; 15:20.)

For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Rom. 8:5-6.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col. 3:2.

But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Matt. 16:23.

(The word translated in the above verses as “mind,” “minded,” and “savourest” all come from the same Greek word (“phronema” the noun, “phroneo” the verb), the root of which is “phren” which translates as “midriff” or “abdomen.” Thus, again we see that the scriptures call us to gut living. We are to set our gut on things above, on the spirit and on the things of God. What a visceral intensity this adds to the scriptures. Also see Rom. 8:27; 12:16; 15:5; 2 Cor. 13:11; Gal. 5:10; Phil. 2:2,5; 3:15,19.)

The appreciation of the human gut has a long and distinguished history as well as an ever growing place in science and medicine.

In history, the human gut\reins\bowels has a key place in all Eastern countries. These cultures revere the gut as the source of “chi,” which refers to the life force or vital energy of life. In China, this concept is called “qi” or “chi” and in Korea and Japan it is called “ki.” Chinese, Korean and Japanese ideas regarding the chi are nearly identical. The Indian term, “prana” or “pranja,” has the same connection to the idea of the spirit. This life force is located in the abdomen (the “hara”) where it is controlled by the breath. It is thought that one’s chi can be seen in one’s personality, and in all outward actions and that it is more powerful than physical strength alone. It is considered a reflection of the inner person. Strong chi is therefore the equivalent of good character. Chi is an important concept in Asian philosophies that underlie all martial arts. I am not touting Eastern philosophy at all because it is entirely lacking in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But, they, along with the Israelites and Greeks, have identified the true center of human spirituality – the gut.

Science has now discovered that the human gut is indeed what Webster’s says it is: “the basic visceral or emotional part of a person.” The gut actually has its own brain which forms the enteric nervous system while staying connected to the central nervous system and the other brain encased in our skulls. In the book The Second Brain, Dr. Michael Gershon reports that there are a hundred million neurotransmitters which line the gut, the same approximate number found in the brain. It appears that our capacity for feeling and emotional expression depends primarily on the gut and, to a lesser extent, the brain. Gershon says, “the gut may be more intellectual than the heart and may have a greater capacity for feeling.” Several mood enhancing chemicals appear to be released through the gut’s neurotransmitters. The gut still remains largely a mystery to science and medicine, yet its importance is progressively being revealed and established.

The coin of the realm for the spiritual warrior is strength and courage. Every mighty man needs a "gut check" for these two treasures. Without strength and courage burning in our belly, our faith walk is weak-kneed and lily-livered. Three times in Joshua 1 the Lord exhorted His people to be strong and courageous as they stormed the Promised Land. The Apostle Paul gives us like charge: "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" (1 Cor. 16:13). Just as atoms are brought together in violent collision to produce nuclear power, so are strength and courage the twin dynamos that energize our faith to overcome the world.

Something is missing in the faith that is preached today. We are taught that faith is mental agreement with the word of God. We keep agreeing, yet keep losing the daily battles with Satan. The missing element is in the realm of the gut. Here the battle of faith is truly fought.

Mere mental assent is just wishing and takes no strength or courage. Gut assent is deepest desire ignited by all the strength and courage a mighty man can muster. A.W. Tozer said, "It may be said without qualification that every man is as holy and as full of the Spirit as he wants to be. He may not be as full as he wishes he were, but he is most certainly as full as he wants to be." True faith is born in the bowels of passionate "wanting" rather than the stagnant waters of mental "wishing."

The Jews believed the deepest affections of man were related to the area of the kidneys and bowels. The King James translates this place as the "reins" (Ps. 7:9). The New American Standard translates this area as the "inward parts" (Ps. 139:13) and "inmost being" (Pr. 23:16). Common sense translates this word as "guts." Jesus confirmed this when He said, "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water." (Jn. 7:38 KJV). Foxe's Book of Martyrs describes "stoutness of stomach" as a key quality of spiritual champions. Let every mighty man seize this same stoutness of gut in the battle against evil.

Legendary Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine said, "A lot of people run a race to see who's the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts." Prefontaine understood the currency of true competition is not ability, but inner desire. Spiritually, God also values guts above ability for "the race is not to the swift" (Eccl. 9:11). The spiritual "race" is won with gut wrenching "endurance" that refuses to "lose heart" (Heb. 12:1-4).

Disraeli said, "Man is only truly great when he acts from the passions." Let every mighty man aspire to passionate greatness in the service of our Lord. Men feel the most alive and are the most successful when their guts are on fire. This holds true in war, sports and love. True passion flows from the belly in the form of excitement, desire and effort. Value strength and courage as the fuel of faith which puts lightning in your belly and victory in your life. Remember, spiritual strength plus spiritual courage equals spiritual guts. Solve the equation now by fervently seeking God for this blessing. "On the day I called Thou didst answer me; Thou didst make me bold with strength in my soul" (Ps. 138:3).

Bible teacher David Ebaugh believes that the kidneys spiritually represent the will of God for our lives. Ebaugh teaches that God has a script called “the volume of the book,” in which is imbedded the perfect will of God for every moment of every day for the rest of our lives. Jesus, David and Moses all referred to this book in the following verses: Heb. 10:7; Ps. 134:16; Ex. 32:32. Ebaugh believes that our kidneys are symbolically “on line” with the volume of the book as it pertains to the script of our individual lives. Ebaugh teaches that our kidneys instruct us (Ps. 16:7), especially at night while we sleep and in the morning when we first seek the Lord. (Is. 50:4; Jer. 7:13, 25; 11:7; 21:12; 25:34; 26:5; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14-15; 44:4; Ps. 30:5). Moreover, when Ps. 73:21 says, “I was pricked in my reins,” the word “pricked” (shanan) also means to “teach diligently” (see the same word so used in Dt. 6:7). So the verse could be read to say that “I was taught diligently in my kidneys.” God tries and searches our reins for the purpose of our receiving instruction of His will in our gut and also the unction to perform it. (Phil. 2:13; also see Ps. 7:9; 26:2; Prov. 11:20; Jer. 17:10; 20:12; Rev. 2:23).

2 Timothy 1:9 tells us our purpose in God was given to us in Christ Jesus before the world began. If in our gut there is a scroll of divine wisdom and limitless unction to walk as a manifest son of God, then we must tenaciously lay hold of it. I bear witness with Ebaugh on this teaching, especially when I saw in my own word study that the Latin word for “heaven” (coelum) is based on the Hebrew word for “kidneys” (kilyah). Our gut is the touch point between God and man. From this touch point rivers of living waters flow through our hearts, minds and bodies. (Jn. 7:38). Isn’t it interesting that the kidneys produce 200 quarts of laboratory pure water every day. What a tribute to our gut as the physical and spiritual wellspring of pure refreshment and cleansing courage.

Why did Jesus’ soul have to descend into Hades to complete His covenant sacrifice for us?

Does scripture teach that Jesus’ soul descended into Hades after His physical death on the cross but before His ascension into Heaven? Yes!

But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. Eph. 4:7-11 (Ps. 68:18).

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. . . .Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. . . .Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. . . .He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. Acts 2:22,24,27,31.

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) Rom. 10:7.

For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matt. 12:40.

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. . . .And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Col. 1:18; 2:15.

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Pet. 3:18-20. (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6).

For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Pet. 4:6.

Church history shows Jesus’ descent into Hell is a foundational Christian belief.

The early fathers believed it: Tertullian, Irenaeus, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Victorinous, Jerome and Augustine all believed it. It has been embedded in the Apostles’ Creed since the 3rd or 4th century.

Aquinas and the medieval church strongly believed in it. They called it “the harrowing of Hell” by Jesus as the consummation of His victory over Satan and the powers of death and evil. They acted it out in plays as a frequent tribute to their belief in it, gratitude for it and emphasis on it.

The reformers strongly believed it, including Martin Luther and John Calvin.

Other more modern names of these who have believed it include Charles Spurgeon, Martin Loyd, Jones, A. W. Pink, William Barclay and scores of others.

What is the difference between Hell, Gehenna, Tartarus, Hades, Paradise and Abraham’s bosom?

Forget about “Hell.” It is a source of confusion because the Bible translators have used this single English word to translate several very different Hebrew and Greek words.

“Sheol” (Hebrew) is translated “Hell” 31 of 65 occurrences.

“Hades” (Greek) is translated “Hell” 10 of 11 occurrences.

“Gehenna” (Greek) is translated “Hell” 11 of 12 occurrences.

“Tartarus” (Greek) is translated “Hell” 1 out of 1 occurrence.

Bottom line: the word “Hell” isn’t helpful, so let’s throw it out and stick to the original Greek and Hebrew terms.

“Gehenna” (Strong’s 1067) is the place of final judgment for wicked men, wicked angels and Satan. It is the lake of fiery judgment into which all evil will be cast at Christ’s physical return. Gehenna comes from “valley of Hinnom” (“ge-hinnom”) which was the place where idolatrous worship of Moloch caused the Israelites to sacrifice their own children into the fire. (2 Chr. 28:3; 33:67). Nobody is or has been in Gehenna yet. It will remain unoccupied until the last judgment day. Matt. 5:22,29; 10:28; 18:9 (literally “Gehenna of fire”); 23:15,33; 25:41; Mk. 9:43,45,47; Rev. 20:10-15. Jesus did not descend into Gehenna from the cross, but into Hades.

“Tartarus” (Strong’s 5020) is the prison of darkness where God chained the group of fallen angels who, in Noah’s day and afterward, left their first estate (proper domain) and mated with human women to produce the demonic offspring known as the “Nephilim” (giants). 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Gen. 6:1-4; 1 Pet. 3:18-20. Jesus did not descend into Tartarus from the cross, but into Hades. However, Jesus did pass by Tartarus and announced to the chained angels His complete victory over their satanic master and demonic brethren. Positionally, Tartarus is located beneath Hades\Sheol as is highlighted by The Complete Jewish Bible (JNTP) in its translation of 2 Pet. 2:4: “For God did not spare the angels who sinned; on the contrary, he put them in gloomy dungeons lower than Sh’ol (Hades) to be held for judgment.”

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached (“kerusso”) unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1 Pet. 3:18-20.

The Greek word for “preached” here, “kerusso” (Strong’s 2784), has the meaning of announcing or heralding a proclamation. The Greek word for “preached” which is most frequently used as a form of sharing the Gospel is “euaggelizo” (Strong’s 2097), from which we get the word “evangelize.” Thus, Jesus was not evangelizing the chained angels of Tartarus. Rather, He was declaring to them His complete victory over death and Hades. You can almost hear their chains rattle as they writhe in torment over the news of Christ’s victory. That Peter did not mean to imply that Jesus evangelized these fallen angels is proven a chapter later in 1 Peter 4:6, where it states plainly that Christ “preached”\evangelized\euaggelizo to the dead in Hades.

For this cause was the gospel preached (“euaggelizo”) also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Pet. 4:6.

The souls of the dead descended into Hades, not Tartarus. Thus, Peter’s use of a different word for a different audience in a different place implies a different function. Jesus gave a victorious war cry into the darkness of the fallen angels of Tartarus, but to the dead souls of lost men He evangelized them with His gospel offer of salvation. More on this later, but for now the point is that Christ did not descend into Tartarus, but He did deliver His eviction notice of evil into its dark center as He was ascending from His victorious battle in Hades.

As a matter of interest how widespread these “angels in chains” were known to the Jewish people, consider the following excerpt from the Jewish Book of 1 Enoch written in the first century B.C.:

“. . .the Watchers called and said to me, ‘Enoch, scribe of righteousness, go, declare to the watchers of heaven who have left the high heaven, the holy eternal place, and have defiled themselves with women, and have done as the children of people do, and have taken for themselves wives: You have caused great defilement on the earth. You will have neither peace nor forgiveness of sin. . . .’ Enoch went and said [to the leader of the rebellious Watchers]: ‘Aza’zel, you will have no peace. A severe judgment has gone forth against you: they will put you in bonds.’”

“. . .the Lord said to Rafa’el, ‘Bind ‘Aza’zel hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: make a pit in the desert in Duda’el, throw him in it, hurl rough jagged rocks on him, cover him with darkness, let him dwell there for ever, and cover his face so that he won’t be able to see light. On the day of the great judgment he will be cast into the fire.’” (1 Enoch 12:4-13:1, 10:4-6).

“Hades” (Strong’s 86) “is an intermediate place or state of the soul between death and final judgment.” Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, edited by Everett Ferguson, p. 417 (Garland). However, Hades is much more than just the abode of the dead. Satan rules in Hades. Hades is the symbolic capital city of Satan’s kingdom of darkness and death. “I will build my church; and the gates of hell (Hades) shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matt. 16:18-19. These verses obviously link Hades with Satan’s kingdom which we are to bind with our keys of authority so that men will be loosed from the grip of the devil. Renowned scholar W. Manson renders “gates of hades” in this passage as “Satan-Hades.” (Jesus and the Christian [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1967], p.83).

Many ancient Jewish and early Christian writers link closely the concepts of Satan and Hades. (Testament of Reuben 4:6-7; Matt. 16:18-19; 1 Cor. 15:24-27; Rev. 20:7-10, 13-14.) The term “gates of Hades” implies that it is some kind of demonic power center because in the ancient world the rulers and military leaders lived at the city gate where important military decisions were made. If Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom of Heaven, then perhaps Satan’s message was the bad news of the kingdom of Hades. Perhaps the demonic opposite of being “in Christ” is being “in Hades.” God operates in three blessed areas: faith, hope and love. Satan operates in three cursed areas: lies, fear and death. Satan used lies to deceive Adam to fall, thereby allowing fear and death to enter the world. From that time, Satan ruled this earth (1 Jn. 5:19) through our fear by the power of death. His power center of death is Hades. However, Hades is far more than just Satan’s military base of operations. It also houses the biggest POW (prisoner of war) camp of all time. Billions and billions of lost souls are enslaved here and brutally abused and tortured by their satanic warden and demonic prison guards.

Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Heb. 2:14-15.

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil (1 Jn. 3:8) by taking the keys of death and Hades away from Satan. I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades) and of death. Rev. 1:18. Not only did Jesus remove death and Hades from all those who are “in Him” (i.e. covenant unity through His indwelling Divine Nature), Christ also provided His perfect love to abide in us to cast out all fear out of our lives so that the devil would truly have no place in us (1 Jn. 4:18).

What then is Hades as far as man is concerned? It is the abode of “soul death.” It is where souls disconnected from God’s Divine Nature exist. For those who die without renewing their minds to God’s logos, their disembodied souls join Satan’s kingdom of darkness. The Hebrews called these disembodied souls “shades.” (Ps. 88:10-12). Their word for “Hades” was “Sheol”. “Hades\Sheol is a land of forgetfulness (Ps. 88:12), where nothing is known of what happens in the upper world (Job 14:21). Hades\Sheol was considered headquartered in the bowels of the earth, which is clear from the expression ‘down into Sheol.’ (Gen. 37:5; Is. 14:11,15; Ez. 31:15). It lies deeper than thought can reach, and to it no light of sun penetrates. Yet it is compared to a house, has chambers, and gates with bars. In poetry it is likened to an insatiable beast. Yet, it is subject to God’s power, though man can not praise God there (Is. 38:18) and God’s reproof does not reach it.” The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. 5, p. 109 (Baker).

Sheol\Hades is the abode of the dead (Ps. 49:14; Prov. 9:18) and is synonymous with death itself (Gen. 42:38; 1 Ki. 2:6,9). It is a place of gloom (Job 10:21-22) and decay (Is. 14:11), from which there is no escape (Job 7:9). Only God can rescue his people from the clutches of Sheol\Hades (Ps. 49:15). Most tragically, those souls descended into Hades have lost their hope for God’s truth (Is. 38:18).

Any unrenewed soul, whether disembodied or not, can be trapped in Hades on some level. Any mental stronghold of evil is Hades. Wicked emotion is Hades. Lust is Hades. Impatience is Hades. Fear is Hades. Any soul separated from the spirit of God experiences Hades on some level. However, once the body dies, the disembodied soul fully shackles itself to Satan’s POW Camp which exists on some barren level of being not visible to the human eye. Many of the ancient Greco-Roman world actually believed the disembodied fallen souls of men became demons used by Satan as low level pawns. Whereas “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:12) all refer to higher level angelic powers which rebelled with Satan against God, this view would equate the lower level demons of Satan to be the fallen souls of men. So too would ghosts, apparitions and hauntings all fit under this heading. See The Unseen World, edited by Anthony N. S. Lane, Chapter 5 (Tyndall House). Although this is somewhat speculative, it is indeed a chilling notion - - that Satan converts fallen souls into some sort of demonic conscripts.

However, the clear point to be gleaned from all this is that Hades is the destiny for lost souls, that it is a place of complete separation from God, and finally, that Satan is in control of it. Whereas the dust of the earth is the abode of death for the fallen physical body, Hades is the death dimension in which fallen souls are imprisoned. It was into this dimension of devils that Jesus’ soul descended - - for three days. We must see Hades as Satan’s stronghold where all His cosmic powers, allies and slaves are headquartered.

Paradise and Abraham’s Bosom refer to the same place. The Jews believed that when the righteous Old Testament saints died, their souls went to rest in Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom. This was basically a soul haven for those saints found faithful to the Abrahamic covenant. Paradise was a place of pleasure, protection and peace. Yet, those souls in Paradise before Jesus’ resurrection were missing something that would enable their full entry into the Kingdom of Heaven - - born again spirits.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Jn. 3:5.

Old Testament saints were approved by God for their faith in the Abrahamic Covenant, but they were not yet prepared for full entry into God’s Kingdom.

And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. . . .And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. Heb. 11:32-34, 39-40.

Their own righteousness in the Abrahamic Covenant enabled Old Testament saints entry into Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom, but only the New Testament believer re-created into Jesus’ righteousness can enter the Kingdom of Heaven (Jn. 14:6). Even though Old Testament saints were partially faithful to their portion of God’s covenant, no Old Testament saint was perfect and sinless.

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Rom. 3:23.

Thus, no flawed man could enter into an unflawed Heaven. Only Jesus could provide the solution. When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished” (Jn. 19:30), He meant that the Abrahamic and Mosaic covenants had been completed and fulfilled in Him:

Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Col. 2:14-15.

Now it was time for the New Covenant to be established by Jesus’ descent into Hades and ascent into Heaven. He kept the Old Covenant flawlessly for thirty-three years, then He laid down His life as the New Covenant through which He gives us His righteousness to live by. Thus, all who receive Jesus’ indwelling righteousness, through being born again and spirit-baptized, are now prepped for full and final entry into the Kingdom of Heaven. In Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom, Old Testament saints were waiting for Jesus to come so that they could receive their born again spirits and Spirit Baptism. It is for this reason that many believe that before Christ’s resurrection, Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom was in a place adjacent to, yet protected from, Hades. Consider the following verses:

There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Lk. 16:19-31.

These verses tell us that Hades and Paradise (at the time Jesus told this story) were adjacent, yet at the same time separated by a “great gulf.” However, when Jesus descended into Hades, He also preached the Gospel to the saints in Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom so that they could receive born again spirits and Spirit Baptism. These saints then ascended into Heaven with Jesus. This view holds that Paradise itself was transported from the realm next to Hades up into Heaven.

Paradise\Abraham’s Bosom is the same Paradise known as the Garden of Eden (Gen. 2:8) as well as “the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7). This is consistent with Paradise being a protected place meant for a communion walk with God. Adam was evicted from it by his own choice. Abraham re-entered it upon the end of his faithful covenant life. Yet, Abraham and other saints were not yet spiritually perfected. Jesus came and brought perfection in moving Paradise up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2,4). Now, Heaven was populated by “the spirits of just men made perfect.” (Heb. 12:23; Heb. 12:9). For all believers after Jesus’ resurrection, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord in Paradise (2 Cor. 5:4-6). Hallelujah!

Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Eph. 4:8.

Scriptures teach that there are three heavens (2 Cor. 12:2-4). I believe the first heaven has been described in this section: Gehenna, Tartarus, Hades, Paradise and Abraham’s Bosom. This is the heaven which, almost paradoxically, houses Satan’s kingdom (Hades) and Satan’s ultimate prison (Gehenna); angels chained (Tartarus) and demonic angels unleashed (Hades); the souls of lost men imprisoned (Hades) and the souls of Old Testament saints comforted (Paradise). This heaven was shaken up at the Cross as Paradise ascended with Jesus into the third heaven where the Father is enthroned. Thus, the first heaven is the soulish realm of Gehenna, Tartarus, Hades, Paradise and Abraham’s Bosom. The second heaven is the physical heaven we see. The third heaven is the realm of the Holy Spirit where the Father reigns. That the second heaven is the visible realm is confirmed by James 3:13-18, which contrasts the wisdom from above (the third heaven) from the wisdom below (the first heaven). The wisdom from above is “pure, peaceable and gentle, full of mercy and good fruits” (v. 17). But the wisdom from below is “earthly, sensual (literally “soulish”) and demonic” (v. 15). Thus, we see that the soulish realm is intimately connected to demonic influence from the earthly depths of Hades. But we are to set our mind on things above in the third heaven of God’s paradise (Col. 3:1-2). At Christ’s physical return, the second and third heavens will merge into the New Jerusalem as Heaven and Earth become one (Rev. 21). The first heaven will be cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:7-10).

Why did Jesus’ soul descend to Hades (as opposed to His body and\or spirit)?

I’ve always wondered in what sense Jesus was touched with all our infirmities “in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” (Heb. 4:15). That is a lot of infirmities Jesus had to touch, especially when “the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Is. 53:6). I have come to understand that Jesus not only bore all our past, present and future sins; as well as our sin natures; He also bore them without surrendering His hope in the Father. I believe that when Jesus physically died on the cross, that was just the beginning of His redemptive work. His soul descended into Hell for three days to bear the tortuous pressure of all our sinful choices. (Acts 2:27-31; Eph. 4:7-11; Col. 2:15).

Let’s look at the crucial verses which highlight this mystery. Jesus was both fully man and fully God. Both God and man are triune beings. God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19). Man is spirit, soul and body (1 Thes. 5:23).

(1)

Man’s spirit functions through the conscience, communion and intuition. The spirit is that part of man which interacts directly with God (Rom. 8:16). More than that, it is that part of us which merges into oneness with God (1 Cor. 6:18).

(2)

Man’s soul consists of his mind, will and emotions (Lk. 10:27). It is the natural thinking of man ruled by sense knowledge. A soulish man is one who walks by sight and not by faith (2 Cor. 5:7). 1 Corinthians 2:14 says “the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are spiritually discerned.” In this passage, the word “natural” is the Greek “psuchikos” and literally means “soulish.” The man led by his soul (natural thinking) cannot receive spiritual things. This is why our soul must be transformed by the spirit through the renewing of our mind (Rom. 12:2). The word (the indwelling logos) of God divides our soul from our spirit so that we can know the true thoughts and intents of our heart (Heb. 4:12).

(3)

Lastly, man’s body is his flesh and bones. It consists of man’s musculoskeletal, nervous and behavioral systems. It is his “earth suit” which is to be presented to God as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).

Adam’s spirit died on the day he ate the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:17). His body did not die in “that day,” nor did his soul (mind, will and emotions). Adam’s spirit died that day. He lost the spirit to walk with God in true communion. He fell from being a spiritual man to being a soulish man:

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural (literally “soulish”) body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural (literally “soulish”) body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural (literally “soulish”); and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. 1 Cor. 15:42-50.

All men are born with the fallen Adamic nature. Our dead spirit enables our prideful soul to swallow it up and digest it. Our spirits are now dead corpses buried inert and powerless in the depths of our soul. Our dead spirits now just form useless scar tissue in the dungeon of our souls. We are unable to receive anything from God while this condition exists.

But the natural (literally “soulish”) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Cor. 2:14.

The New Covenant delivers us from this dilemma. First, we must be born again of the spirit (Jn. 3:5-8). Next, we must receive the indwelling of Christ’s Divine Nature within us through the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (Rom. 8:9). Now, the indwelling logos is able to separate out our souls from our spirits. (Heb. 4:12). Now, as we grow in the spirit, it is our spirits’ turn to swallow up and digest our souls as we are renewed in the spirit of our minds (Eph. 4:23).

Scriptures teach that our spirit is saved when we are born again (Jn. 3:6-7; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; Heb. 12:23). Our soul is progressively being saved as it is renewed to the spirit by the word of God (Rom. 12:2; Jas. 1:12,19-25; 1 Pet. 1:7-10; Heb. 10:38-39; Heb. 4:12; Phil. 2:12; 1 Cor. 3:12-17). Our body will be saved at Jesus’ physical appearing when we receive glorified bodies (Rev. 20:7-21-8; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; 2 Thes. 1:7-2:8; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58).

Jesus’ work at the Cross provided whole salvation for our spirits, souls and bodies (1 Thes. 5:23). The mystery deepens. Jesus’ spirit went from the cross into the Father’s hands (Lk. 23:46). Jesus’ body went from the cross to the grave (Mk. 15:42-47). Jesus’ soul went to Hell (Hades).

Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Acts 2:22-36.

Jesus’ physical body suffered physical death for our physical sins committed by our bodies. Jesus’ soul suffered death for all our sinful choices, faithless living and prideful arrogance. Isaiah 53:9 says that the Messiah would make “his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death” (literally “deaths” plural). Thus, this verse describes Jesus’ double death. Jesus’ physical body died and was buried in the tomb of the wealthy Joseph of Arimethia (Matt. 27:57-61) while Jesus’ soul died and descended into Hades with the wicked. Soul death for Jesus was not non-existence of His soul. Rather, the Hebrew concept of “death” means separation from relationship. Thus, Jesus’ soul death was separation from the Spirit. Jesus and the Father were one in the Spirit, both by nature and by relationship (Jn. 10:30). When Jesus commended His spirit into the Father’s hands from the cross, He merely was returning to the Father the Father’s own sinless and flawless Divine Nature which had indwelt Jesus’ spirit as a merged identity.

Thus, Jesus’ entire being stretched from the Father’s heavenly hands down through His earthly tomb down to the pits of Hell. Perhaps, this is why Jesus is called the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last (Rev. 22:13).

Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. Col. 1:15-18.

God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Heb. 1:1-3.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Phil. 2:5-11.

(Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.). Eph. 4:9-10.

We all know of Jesus’ physical suffering for our sin, but few are aware of the travail of his soul suffered in Hell (Is. 53:10-12). Jesus’ physical suffering on the cross provides physical healing for us. By Jesus’ physical stripes we are physically healed. But, by His soul stripes we are healed in our minds, wills and emotions. Hallelujah! I know that in my life I have suffered many sins and weaknesses in my physical body. Yet, I also know that the majority of my sins have not been committed by me physically, but rather with my mind, will and emotions. It makes perfect sense, particularly when we consider Jesus’ high standard. Whereas the Old Testament said the act of adultery or murder was a sin, Jesus says the thought, desire or emotion of adultery or anger is just as sinful (Matt. 5:23-30). The act of adultery or murder ravages the physical body. But, the thought, desire or emotion of adultery or anger ravages the soul. Both need healing and salvation. Earthly graves are for physical corpses. Hell is for soulish corpses. If Jesus had only suffered physical death, the majority of our problems would still exist within our own fallen souls. But, praise God, He poured out His soul unto death so that we could be wholly saved.

Jesus’ resurrection was accomplished both in His body and soul by the spirit. Jesus’ body was resurrected on the third day when He arose from the tomb. But, prior to that, Jesus’ soul was resurrected when it reunited with the Father’s Spirit in Hell after Jesus’ soul had paid the price for our soul sins. Resurrection life for any soul is proper connection and submission to the Spirit. But what happened to Jesus’ soul for those three days in Hell?

What happened to Jesus’ soul when it descended into Hades?

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As I have studied the subject of Jesus’ soul descending into Hades from the cross, I have discovered an amazing thing. The early church strongly believed in Jesus’ descension into Hell. Tertullian, Irenaeus, Chrysostom, Theodoret, Victorinous, Jerome, Augustine and Aquinas all embraced it. The belief has also been imbedded in the Apostles’ Creed since the 3rd or 4th century. The medieval church universally adopted Christ’s descent into Hell as the consummation of His victory over Satan and the powers of death and evil. This descent is stated or implied in several New Testament texts: Matt. 12:40; Acts 2:24,27,31; Rom. 10:7; Eph. 4:9; Col. 1:18; 2:15 and possibly 1 Pet. 3:18 and 4:6. The medieval church called this victory by Christ the “harrowing of Hell” and was often acted out in plays. Next in the time-line, Luther and Calvin both believed in Jesus’ descent into Hell as necessary to complete Jesus’ full substitutionary suffering, death and resurrection on behalf of mankind. Finally, Charles Hodge, the leading American theologian of the 19th century wrote in his commentary on Ephesians that the majority of theologians of his day believed in the descent into Hell by Christ (even though He was unsure Himself). Charles Spurgeon, Martin Loyd Jones, William Barclay and A. W. Pink must also be added to this list of those who have strongly emphasized Christ’s descent into Hades as a crucial part of the atonement.

Yet, today there are scant few who will lay claim to believe in the harrowing of Hell. In my opinion, the doctrine has become too controversial. Many today want a sanitized “G” rated crucifixion that keeps all of Jesus’ suffering in the physical realm where we can sentimentally manage it with our well-done passion plays. A few will adopt a “PG” rating for the crucifixion and allow that scriptures clearly say Jesus descended into Hell, but they back off from agreeing that Jesus suffered and\or fought Satan in Hades. Rather, they believe all Christ did in Hell was preach a sermon and then ascended to Heaven. I propose the “R” rated version of the cross. It is violent, but oh so exciting and action packed. In it, Jesus suffers all the death blows of Hell, then fires back steel punches laying low every demon power in taking “captivity captive” (Eph. 4:8). “Christ’s descent has a cosmical, universal import: To save mankind He must grapple and become victor over, vanquish, the cosmical powers and the evil agencies in their totality and He must pursue them into the farthest recesses of their activity. He must, hence, go beyond the surface-world, in which fallen mankind dwells, to the depths of darkness, the utmost sphere of the authority of evil.” The View of the Universe in the Epistle to the Ephesians, by H. Odeberg (Land: Gleerup, 1934) pp. 17-19. As A. W. Pink noted in The Ability of God, “does not ‘having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it’ (Col. 2:15) clearly imply a concerted effort on the part of the powers of evil to oppose His resurrection and ascension? How else did He ‘triumph over them’? Why was ‘the King of glory,’ on His entrance into heaven, greeted as ‘the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle’ (Ps. 24:7-8)? Is not the likely reference to His victory over the infernal forces? Isaiah 59:18-19 seems to supply confirmation.”

Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. Matt. 12:29.

We must internalize what Jesus suffered, not only in the body, but in the soul. If we only keep Jesus’ suffering to an external pain, we will never fully appropriate our indwelling inheritance.

“Many in repeating the creed have found the phrase ‘He descended into hell’ either meaningless or bewildering, and have tacitly agreed to set it on one side and forget it. It may well be that we ought to think of this as a picture painted in terms of poetry rather than a doctrine stated in terms of theology. But it contains these three great truths - that Jesus Christ not only tasted death but drained the cup of death, that the triumph of Christ is universal and that there is no corner of the universe into which the grace of God has not reached.” William Barclay, The Letters of James and Peter (Westminister John Knox Press) p. 249.

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For Jesus to descend into this enemy lair not only unarmed with His Spirit, but also chained with all our soul sins, is almost too horrible to contemplate. Jesus’ suffering in Hell for these three days is unimaginable, yet it is captured in the Messianic images of Psalms 18, 22, 31 and 69 (and several others). These Psalms portray Jesus’ suffering for our sins in Hell, particularly when these passages all describe various aspects of the crucifixion. The Gospels in fact quote many of these verses as fulfilled prophecy. Psalm 22:1 and Mark 15:34; Psalm 22:13,16, 18 and Luke 23:34 and John 19:23-24; Psalm 31:5 and Luke 23:46; Psalm 69:21 and Matthew 27:34 are four such references, but there are many more. Psalm 18 in particular describes on its face Jesus’ battle as the “sorrows of death and hell” and “the floods of ungodly men” compassed Him (verses 3 and 4). C. H. Spurgeon commented on Psalm 18 as follows: “In poetical language, the psalmist describes experiencing Jehovah’s delivering power. Poetry has in her treasures no gem more lustrous than this sonnet. The sorrow, the cries, the descent of the Divine One, and the rescue of the afflicted are set to music worthy of the golden harps. The Messiah our Savior is, over and beyond David or any other believer, the main and chief subject of this Psalm. We have grown more certain that every line has its deepest and profoundest fulfillment in Him.” Treasury of David, p. 110 (Nelson). After having been literally flooded and attacked by all our sins for all time; after being tortured by demonic powers known as the “strong bulls of Bashan” (Ps. 22:12; Col. 2:15); after paying the penalty for every sin committed past, present and future; after all this, the price had been paid without Jesus sinning Himself.

“In the Book of Psalms we are given an insight into our Lord’s inner feelings, and His sufferings for us, as nowhere else. He often quoted from the book of Psalms, and in each case applied the quotation to Himself. He may have intended us to understand from this that all the Psalms are Messianic, though our eyes may not always be open to see Him in them. . . . The Jews are unanimous in applying a Messianic interpretation to those Psalms which are generally accepted as such by Christians. It is a remarkable fact that of all the citations in the New Testament from the Old which have a Messianic reference, nearly one-half are made from the Psalms.” Christ in All the Scriptures, by A. M. Hodgkin, p. 111 (Barbour).

We must see this crucial point. When Jesus was sinless upon the earth during His thirty three years of natural life, no harvest of demonic destruction or sinful oppression was able to enter into His body gate to afflict Him. “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Jn. 14:30.

Yet, when He descended into Hell, His gates were voluntarily opened wide allowing all sinful destruction and demonic oppression to come into His soul like a flood. Yet, like a champion boxer, He would not go down! With His hands tied behind His back by our cords of sin, punch after demonic punch, claw after demonic claw buffeted His defenseless soul. Millions, billions, trillions of blows struck, gored and mauled Him. Yet, He would not go down! He took the full brunt of punishment past, punishment present and punishment future. Yet, He would not go down! He kept His focus during this hellish torment on two things – His covenant love for His Father and His covenant love for us. When the price had been paid for all sins for all time, the cords started to loosen. “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” Acts 2:24. Strength started to return - - covenant strength. Father was sending help. It was payback time. The Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, edited by Everett Ferguson (Garland) at 411, states that with regard to Christ’s descent into Hell, “An earlier and more enduring version of the pattern correlated the descent with various texts from the Psalms.” I want to replicate this Psalmic version and add to it several New Testament verses which weave a majestic theme of Christ’s victory:

“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's breasts. I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's belly. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. For the kingdom is the LORD's: and he is the governor among the nations. All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.” Ps. 22.

“O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: Let my prayer come before thee: incline thine ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draweth nigh unto the grave. I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that hath no strength: Free among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom thou rememberest no more: and they are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. Mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee. LORD, why castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; thy terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. Lover and friend hast thou put far from me, and mine acquaintance into darkness.” Ps. 88.

“The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire. Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils. He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but the LORD was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me. The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. . . .For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed. I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. They cried, but there was none to save them: even unto the LORD, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me. The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places. The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted. It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me. He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto thy name. Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his anointed, to David, and to his seed for evermore.” Ps. 18:4-23, 28-50.

“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” Is. 53:1-12.

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” Col. 2:15.

“For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.” Heb. 2:10-18.

“Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:14-15.

“But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” Eph. 4:7-11.

“For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison (see Jude 6); Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him. . . .For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” 1 Pet. 3:18-22; 4:6.

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” Rev. 1:18.

“Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” Matt. 12:29.

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 Jn. 3:8.

“And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. And they talked together of all these things which had happened. And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. . . .Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. . . .And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Lk. 24:13-15,25-27,44.

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The above passages describe the taking back of our lives from the clutches of Satan. And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. 2 Tim. 2:26. Jesus put the curse in reverse. It is as if He rewound the tapes of our lives to the beginnings, erased all our sinful choices, then fast forwarded them while at the same time re-dubbing our lives by inserting His will into every one of our life decisions according to the good and perfect and acceptable will of God the Father. Satan seeks to lure us into re-recording sinful choices over our tape. Conversely, Jesus wants us to rest completely in what He has already accomplished in us. (Heb. 4:3-10).

Beloved, do you realize what this means? Jesus has already lived your life for you! He has already faced every situation you have or will ever face. Yet, He has made the right and blessed choice for you, thereby reversing the cursing of all our faithless choices. Jesus, in effect, chose His way out of Hell for you by remaining steadfast to His covenant with the Father. This explains why the covenant walk had to be twice made. Jesus walked through our entire life once already when He suffered our punishment in Hell. The second walk is performed by our lifetime walk of faith as we affirm and amen Jesus’ blessed choices He already made for us at the cross.

That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past. Eccl. 3:15.

Let us never again say Jesus doesn’t know or understand what we are going through. Not only does He understand it, He also received the full harvest of evil from it. Yet, He never gave in to the temptation of it and in effect reversed, revised and reinstated our standing with the Father as sons of God. All we have to do to receive it is believe it. Whatever your need or challenge, Jesus has literally been there and done that with complete victory. We can walk in perfection just as Jesus commanded (Matt. 5:48) only because Jesus has pre-walked our lives for us and makes His indwelling perfection available for us.

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Jn. 16:33.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world 1 Jn. 4:4.

Once we believe, Jesus’ indwelling spirit comes and abides in us, especially in our guts. Now Gal. 2:20 becomes a reality.

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. Gal. 2:20.

Now, predestination makes perfect sense. “In Christ” (i.e. in our blood covenant by which Christ indwells us by His Spirit) we are “predestined to be conformed to the image of his (God’s) Son, that he (Jesus) might be the first born among many brethren.” (Rom. 8:29); we are “predestined . . . unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself” (Eph. 1:5); we are predestined to walk in the purpose of Christ “in whom also we have obtained an inheritance” (Eph. 1:11); and we are predestined to work the works of God, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:10). Conversely, Satan has predestined us to live a life without believing on the indwelling Christ. We decide which destiny we embrace. “As the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk.” (1 Cor. 6:17).

Consider the following verse, If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Gal. 5:25. The Greek word for “walk” is “steicho” and means “to keep step.” Thus, if we live in the Spirit (i.e. in Christ, in covenant, in the Divine Nature), then let us keep step with the Spirit (i.e. yield to, endorse and act on Jesus’ pre-lived, pre-chosen, pre-empowered and pre-blessed will for each and every moment of our lives). The best news of all is that this divine unction lives in our gut, in our heart and in our mind. It is the very spirit and person of Jesus Christ, King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

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One last question I want to touch on is the question of the meaning of 1 Peter 4:6.

For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1 Pet. 4:6.

What does Jesus evangelizing the dead mean for us believers. This is indeed a mystery, but I think the meaning is amazingly simple. All men will be presented the Gospel one way or another. Let me share a blessed passage from William Barclay’s Commentary to Letters of James and Peter (Westminster John Knox Press) pp. 248-249 as it pertains to 1 Peter 4:6:

“This very difficult passage ends with a very difficult verse. Once again we have the idea of the gospel being preached to the dead. At least three different meanings have been attached to dead. (i) It has been taken to mean those who are dead in sin, not those who are physically dead. (ii) It has been taken to mean those who died before the Second Coming of Christ; but who heard the gospel before they died and so will not miss the glory. (iii) It has been taken to mean quite simply all the dead. There can be little doubt that this third meaning is correct; Peter has just been talking about the descent of Christ to the place of the dead, and here he comes back to the idea of Christ preaching to the dead.

No fully satisfactory meaning has ever been found for this verse; but we think that the best explanation is as follows. For mortal man, death is the penalty of sin. As Paul wrote: ‘Sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned’ (Romans 5:12). Had there been no sin, there would have been no death; and, therefore, death in itself is a judgment. So Peter says, all men have already been judged when they die; in spite of that Christ descended to the world of the dead and preached the gospel there, giving them another chance to live in the Spirit of God.

In some ways this is one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible, for, if our explanation is anywhere near the truth, it gives a breath-taking glimpse of a gospel of a second chance.”

For me, this verse is a safety net that assures that God will provide a fair opportunity for every man to receive salvation, both in life and in death. Many won’t receive the gospel dead or alive. These poor souls have become their hardened choices. They have wilfully rejected God in every feeling, thought or action. But others, whose hearts have not totally hardened, have a chance at redemption as all lost souls past\present\future are transported upon death to the same moment when Jesus preached the Gospel to the dead. Thus, the cross and resurrection truly provide reconciliation for all things to Christ - - the living and the dead.

And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. Col. 1:20.

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Acts 10:42-43.

Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? 1 Cor. 15:29.

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I want to close by including a lengthy quote from Paul E. Bilheimer’s Destined for the Throne. It highlights not only the descension of Christ into Hades, but more importantly the ascension of Christ and all believers into Heaven. This passage picks up from the point when Jesus’ soul was about to be resurrected and reunited with His Father’s Spirit in the depths of Hades.

“Thus, in order to be made alive unto God and restored to fellowship with His Father, He had to be reborn - for He had become the very essence of sin. Since sin had totally alienated Him from the Father, the only way He could be restored to fellowship with the Father was through a new birth to new life. This is the meaning of Revelation 1:5: ‘Jesus Christ who is the first begotten from among the dead’ (margin). As long as He was identified with sin, He was in the clutches of Satan and the hosts of hell, just like any lost sinner. But when He was justified and made alive, adjudged and declared righteous in the Supreme Court of the universe, the tables were turned. The battle in that cavern of despair is described by Peter in Acts 2:24: ‘Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it’ (NS). This implies a tremendous effort on the part of hell. When He, as an authentic man, had completely disarmed and dethroned the arch foe of God and man, He burst forth triumphantly from that age-old prison of the dead. Paul says that He ‘spoiled principalities and powers’ and ‘made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it’ (Col. 2:15). According to Webster’s New World Dictionary this word ‘spoiled’ means to ‘strip the hide from an animal,’ to ‘completely disarm a defeated foe,’ to ‘damage or injure in such a way as to make useless,’ to ‘destroy,’ This is what Jesus did to Satan after he was justified and made alive in the spirit. The monumental struggle that took place in that dark domain is implied in the words, ‘It was not possible that he should be held by it.’ Death did its utmost to shackle Him, to keep Him permanently in its grip. All of the resources of the underworld were mustered to prevent His resurrection, but in vain. It was impossible for death to ‘keep its prey.’ In the words of the psalm writer, ‘He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder’ (Psalm 107:16). From that struggle He emerged triumphant with the keys of death and of hell. ‘I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death’ (Rev. 1:18).

Michelangelo has given us his conception of this event in one of his celebrated paintings. He shows the doorway of that ancient prison unhinged at Jesus’ command, with a demon crushed beneath the fallen portal. Truly, ‘death could not hold Him.’ An eloquent writer has described the resurrection scene and Christ’s ensuing exaltation thus: ‘Forcing a mighty earthquake, He mounted up again to solid earth, the light of day, and to the world of breathing men. Up and up again through the rent clouds and ranks of shouting angels and under the lifted heads of the everlasting doors, until He took His seat at the right hand of the Majesty in the heavens. In the realms of space, in the kingdoms of the universe, in the regions of light or darkness, in the epochs of eternity, there are none to rival our Lord Jesus and no power that does not owe Him tribute. In the nether abyss He has no unconquered challenger. In the heavenlies, it seems there are thrones higher and lower and names more or less eminent, but he stands clear above them all. The Christ who died on the cross, who rose from the grave in human form, is exalted as a human being to share the Father’s glory and dominion, is filled with God’s own fullness, and made without limitation or exception Head over all things.’ Yes, today an authentic human being sits on the throne of the universe, wielding all the authority of the Godhead.

Christ’s Exaltation and the Church’s Enthronement

When Christ took His seat in the heavens, He proved conclusively that Satan’s devastation was complete, that he was utterly undone. Hell was thrown into total bankruptcy. Satan was not only stripped of his legal authority and dominion, but by an infinitely superior force he was stripped of his weapons also. But this is not all. When Jesus burst forth from that dark prison and ‘ascended up on high,’ all believers were raised and seated together with Him. ‘But God . . . brought us to life with Christ . . . .And in union with Christ Jesus he raised us up and enthroned us with him in the heavenly realms’ (Eph. 2:4-6 NEB).

Identified With Christ in His Death and Resurrection

In the mind of God every believer shares complete identity with Christ from the cross to the throne. According to the Word, we are crucified with Him, buried with Him, raised with Him, exalted with Him, and enthroned with Him (Rom. 6 and Eph. 2). How is this understandable? Consider the following:

The total cumulative sin of the world could not be laid upon Him independent of the sinner himself. There is no such thing as abstract sin, sin apart from the sinner. Not only was the sinner’s sin laid upon Him, but the person of the sinner as well. Therefore, when He went to the cross He carried the entire human race with Him. ‘We thus judge that if one died for all, then were all dead’ (2 Cor. 5:14). ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me’ (Gal. 2:20 NASV). ‘It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him’ (2 Tim. 2:11). All mankind was identified with Him in death, but only those who believe are identified with Him in His resurrection and exaltation.

Identified with Christ in His Exaltation and Enthronement

We are not surprised that He is exalted and enthroned in the heavens. What is difficult for us to comprehend is that we have been exalted with Him. Yet if ‘he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit’ (1 Cor. 6:17), it cannot be otherwise. We are not surprised that ‘all things have been put under his feet.’ What we have failed to comprehend is that as part of Him, His Body, all things are also legally beneath our feet. What we do not realize is that He is ‘the head over all things to the church’ (Eph. 1:22). This means that His Headship over all things is assumed and held for the benefit of the Church and is directed toward His purpose for her. We have underestimated the supreme importance of the Church in God’s economy. She is the center and motive of all His activity from all eternity. He does nothing solely for His own sake. She is included as a full partner in all His plans. The Church is His Body, the fullness of Him that fills all things everywhere. He is not full or complete without His Church which is His Body. This is true only because of God’s voluntary self-limitation. In the absolute, God is wholly self-sufficient. He needs nothing and can be served by no one. Yet He has chosen voluntarily to limit Himself in order that the Church may become His judicial equal. It is true that the Body cannot function without the Head. It is just as true that the Head, by His own choice, cannot function without the Body. Both are equally important to the accomplishment of His plan.

Identified With Christ in His Conquest of Satan

The same truth is taught in the figure of the vine and the branches. While it is true that ‘the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine’ (John 15:4), it is also true that the vine does not bear fruit without the branches on which the fruit appears. These are illustrations of God’s voluntary limiting of Himself so that He not only needs the Church, but, due to the nature of the divine economy, He cannot accomplish His chosen goal without her. Because of God’s free self-limitation, the Body is equally important as the Head for functioning, just as the branch is equally important as the vine for fruit bearing, His voluntary self-limitation is for the purpose of making room for the members of His ‘Bridehood’ to realize their full potential as generic sons of God. His goal in His self-limitation is to inaugurate a process by which the members of the ‘Bridehood,’ as judicial equals, may eternally approximate the character of the Son, thus implementing His plan to ‘bring many sons to glory,’ to their highest potential as blood-brothers of the Eternal Son. He has taken us into His family as ‘His very son,’ that is, as generated members of His household as distinguished from other orders of beings who are only created, not generated. Through the new birth we are the ‘next of kin.’ We are organically a part of Christ. As a part of Him, when He conquered the forces of darkness and left them disarmed and paralyzed before He arose from the dead, we who believe were participants in that victory. When He snatched the keys of death and hell from Satan and burst forth from that neither abyss, we were sharers in that triumph. When He ascended up on high and took His seat in the heavenlies, we were exalted with Him. Because Satan and all the hosts of hell are beneath His feet, they are likewise beneath ours. When He defeated Satan it was our victory. He did not conquer Satan for Himself. The entire substitutionary work of Christ was for His Bride-elect, the Church. He became flesh and blood so that He could enter the conflict and overcome Satan as an unfallen human being for her benefit, not for His. Therefore, we are Satan’s masters. He can lord it over us no more. His dominion over us ended at Calvary. Instead of his having power over us, we have been given authority over him. This is the meaning of our enthronement with Christ.”

This is the heart of the New Covenant - - our burial with Jesus in the Baptism of death into Hades and our resurrection and ascension with Jesus into the Kingdom of Heaven. (Rom. 6:3-14). This New Covenant is a Now Covenant. We are ascended and seated now with Christ. Refreshed with this revelation, let us go forth in the “who”ness, “new”ness, “now”ness and “near”ness of our blood covenant.

VII.

How do we walk in the New Covenant?

With our mouth and heart.

But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. 10:8-10.

My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Ps. 45:1.

Covenant Confession: (A mouth that confesses covenant promises continually).

As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. Is. 59:21.

With my lips have I declared all the judgments of thy mouth. Ps. 119:13.

Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart, and in your soul...speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Dt. 11:18-19.

And it shall come to pass if thou hearken (hear intelligently, be obedient to, declare) diligently (wholly, completely, far, fast, louder and louder) unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments...all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee. (Hebrew definitions added parenthetically). Dt. 28:1-2.

Covenant Confidence: (A heart which keeps centered in hope and expectation).

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Pr. 4:23.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Pr. 3:5-6.

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD. Ps. 27:4-6.

For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Cor. 1:20.

Covenant Courage: (Guts to confess, believe and act on our covenant promises).

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest. Jsh. 1:8-9.

Covenant Consciousness: (Continual awareness\attentiveness to our indwelling Christ).

I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope. . . .Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Ps. 16:8-9,11.

Covenant Thankfulness: (The “Todah” trigger of gutsy gratitude).

“Todah” means to extend the hands in a sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, or thank offering. Strongs 8426. It comes from the root word “Yadah” (3034) which literally means “to use the hand to praise, cast out, make confession and give thanks.” The New Testament Greek equivalent is “Eucharisteo(tia)” which means “to give thanks” or “thanksgiving.” (2168-2169). “Trigger” is defined as “an act or event that initiates or precipitates a reaction or series of reactions.” The Todah Trigger is a faith and hope event of thanksgiving on our part which then releases a series of spiritual reactions on God’s part.

“Todah” is intense gratitude which is fervently given before the solution, answer or victory is visibly observed or manifested. My dad called this, “Jumping up and down thankful.” In this sense, it is truly the sacrifice of praise we give to God before we actually receive the harvest of our faith.

“He who sacrifices thank-offerings [todah] honors me and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” Ps. 50:23 (NIV).

Jonah in the belly of the fish. “But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving [todah]; I will pay that that I vowed. Salvation is of the Lord. And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.” Jon. 2:9-10. (Note the thanksgiving came first, then the deliverance.)

The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise [todah] into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, saith the LORD. Jer. 33:11. (Again, first the thanksgiving, then the deliverance.)

Todah as a New Testament key is expressed in the following verses:

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. 1 Tim. 2:8.

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. . . . Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. Phil. 4:4,6.

Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thes. 5:16-18.

And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Eph. 5:18-21.

The extension of our hands in todah thanksgiving blesses God (Ps. 134:2), blesses children (Matt. 19:13-15), heals the sick (Mk. 16:18), imparts Spirit Baptism (Acts 19:6), imparts spiritual gifts (1Tim. 4:14), and works miracles (Acts 5:12).

Todah is a freewill offering which can be made at any time and any place by anyone whose heart has been set free by the Son of God. We alone can pull the trigger of todah thanksgiving. As the Jewish sages taught, “Everything is in God’s hands except devotion to God.”

And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving [todah] unto the LORD, offer it at your own will. Lev. 22:29.

Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings [todah] into the house of the LORD. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings. 2 Chr. 29:31.

I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving [todah], and will call upon the name of the LORD. Ps. 116:17.

The Todah Trigger releases faith and love to work the mighty acts of God. Thus, we must first offer todah not when we receive, but when we believe. When we offer todah, we are sacrificing our common sense, human visibilities, logic and dignity along with our thank offering. Nothing looks more foolish and undignified to the world’s eyes than offering todah to someone invisible for something that has yet to happen. Yet, this is the way of the spirit. Abraham gave glory to God as he became fully persuaded that God was going to give him a son by his hundred-year-old wife’s dead womb. Abraham offered todah to God before the miracle happened and it was accounted to him as righteousness. Rom. 4:16-22. Todah may start off in the flesh, but it will end in the spirit if the offering is from a sincere and fervent heart. Smith Wigglesworth often said he would start off praising God in the flesh but end up praising God in the spirit. This is why he said, “If the spirit does not move me, I move the spirit.” This also explains his amazing morning routine: “I don’t ever ask Smith Wigglesworth how he feels! I jump out of bed! I dance before the Lord for at least 10 to 12 minutes - high speed dancing. I jump up and down and run around my room telling God how great He is, how wonderful He is, how glad I am to be associated with Him and to be His child.” I am certain Smith didn’t feel like dancing first thing out of bed every morning, but by the end of the routine his spiritual blood was pumping in true worship. Smith’s lifestyle of todah enabled him to make the following bold declaration: “I am on the plan of daring, acting in the Holy Ghost.”

Consider the following Old Testament type. It is a beautiful example of victory being continually maintained for as long as we extend our hands in praise, thanksgiving, blessing and prayer.

Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi: For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. Ex. 17:8-16. (The Amalekites, which in the Hebrew literally means “worriers,” symbolizes the cares of the world which we battle every day. We win as we continually lift our hands in todah.)

Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the LORD. Ps. 149.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving [todah], and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. Ps. 100:4. (Todah is the trigger of entry into the Kingdom of God.)

Other related Hebrew terms which can all be incorporated by us as forms of todah triggers:

“Hallal” means “to laud, to boast, to celebrate, to be clamorously foolish.” This is the most common word for praise and is used over 200 times in the Old Testament. (This word is the root of “Hallelujah” which means “praise the Lord.” See Phile. 6.)

“Barak” means “to declare God the origin of power for success, prosperity, fertility.” Used over 200 times in the Old Testament to denote blessings from God, to God and between people. It also means “to bow in reverence.”

Tehillah” means “the singing of praises.” The Bible has over 300 commands to sing.

“Zamar” means “to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise.” Used 40 times.

“Shabach” means “to shout, to address in a loud tone, to commend.” The Bible has over 100 commands to shout to the Lord.

“Gil” means “to shout and circle in joy.” Used 29 times.

“Havah” means to bow, kneel or prostrate in worship.” Used 65 times.

“Hul, karan, Mahol, Meholah, Raqad, Saha” all mean “to dance.”

“Pazaz” means “to leap.”

“Maha” means “to clap.”

“Tongues” is listed in 1 Cor. 14:17 as a way to give perfect thanks.

VIII.

What are the battle lines of the New Covenant?

The battle lines have always been the same - - the tree of covenant life versus the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. So it was in the Garden of Eden and so it is today. Understanding what these trees represent is, in my opinion, the single most important revelation in the Bible. Simply, the tree of life represents the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ, from which we are called to be partakers (2 Pet. 1:4). Conversely, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil represents the “soulish” nature of man separated from union with God’s Spirit: “the natural (literally ‘soulish’ in the original Greek) man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Cor. 2:14.

Thus, the tree of life is spiritual. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is soulish. The tree of life is merged life with God. The tree of good and evil is man ruling his own life as God. The tree of life is Christ. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is Anti-Christ. “Anti” in the original Greek means “instead of, up against, or opposite of.” Thus, Anti-Christ represents the gamut of not only things in direct opposition to God, but it also represents soulish efforts, both well-intentioned and not, which appear to be of God but are not. This is why good and evil fruit are both on the same tree of Anti-Christ. Satan doesn’t care whether you do good or evil. Satan only cares whether you act with God’s Spirit or without God’s Spirit. This is why some men who actually appear to perform great acts of ministry in the Lord’s name will never see heaven - - because they did not operate out of God’s Spirit (Matt. 7:21-23). The tree of life is Spirit-led. The tree of good and evil is soul-controlled.

The enemy of covenant-living is soul-control. Soul-control is a life ruled by natural thinking. Soul-control manipulates people and events, or is manipulated by people and events. Soul-control enslaves us to the visible and natural. Every action is in reality a reaction to some other stimuli. We are in this fallen sense prisoners of cause and effect, sowing and reaping, action and reaction. Like falling dominoes, the events and emotions of our lives all connect and compel the course of our existence. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden (Gen. 2:17) was the tree of death for man. What was the tree symbolic of? Simply, it was control - - soul-control. Man wanted to rule as God rather than walk with God. This soul-control destroyed Adam’s spirit then and it still seeks to destroy our spirit today. Soul-control does this by creating and maintaining “dead zones” in our lives where God’s Spirit does not reign. These “dead zones” are areas of our hearts numb to God’s presence. They can exist in our emotions, relationships, thoughts, jobs and finances. Only the resurrection power of God can quicken these “dead zones” back to life as we cast out our soul-control.

“It is easier to be God than to love God. It is easier to control men than to love them.” Henri Nouen.

“The blindness of the world is caused by pride, the desire to replace God’s power with one’s own power, power and wisdom to order things sweetly with ourselves at the center, the power to exact vengeance, to conquer enemies and make friends subservient, and the wisdom to know how. Or when I turn away from such crude displays of power, still, I want my virtue praised, my justice recognized, my courage honored, my merits recognized and rewarded by God, as though the world were ordered and set up precisely to congratulate me. How do I break out of this failure of imagination? It is God who does it.” The Cross in Christian Tradition, Elizabeth A. Dreyer, p. 163.

In the fallen world, it’s all about control - - Satan’s and\or man’s. In the spiritual world, it’s all about freedom. “Whom the Son sets free is free indeed.” (Jn. 8:36). Free of control. Free from control. Tom Bombadil, a character in The Lord of the Rings, was called “Master” because he was not controlled by anybody, nor did he seek to control anybody. Yet, he had dominion over all things - - dominion but not control. His dominion set creation free from control so that it could fulfill its true purpose. I strongly believe this character was based on Jesus. Jesus would not be controlled by another. When His own mother sought to pressure Him to perform a miracle at the wedding of Cana, Jesus abruptly responded, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” (Jn. 2:4). He did perform the miracle, but it was not because He was manipulated into doing it. When Peter, with good intentioned soul-control, sought to keep Jesus from going to Jerusalem to be crucified, Jesus strongly rebuked Peter by calling him Satan (Matt. 16:21-23). Jesus simply would not be controlled by either man or Satan (Lk. 4:1-14).

Jesus’ only motivation was flowing with His Father’s will. Jesus always acted with an opposite spirit - - never reacting to events but acting upon events. Jesus was always the cause and never the effect. He acted outside the course of human causality. He never responded to events based on how He was treated or acted upon. Rather, He always acted based on His gut-unction from the Father (Jn. 5:19,30). He always elevated His domino of being above the domino streams of worldly causes and effects. Jesus truly lived outside of human cause and effect. He was never a victim of control, nor did Jesus use control to victimize anybody else. Jesus never played manipulative games. No tit for tat (blow for blow). No self-promotion, self-preservation or self-justification. No indirect beating around bushes. No hurt feelings, no pent up rage, no imposing guilt trips, no back biting, and no vendettas. Jesus never performed. He only spontaneously served. Jesus’ only focus was on the “now” will of the Father to set creation free from the control of fallen men and fallen angels.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Lk. 4:18-19.

Scripture says we should likewise walk outside the realm of human control and causality:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Jn. 3:8.

But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man. 1 Cor. 2:15.

But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 1 Cor. 4:3-4.

The “shield of faith” of Ephesians 6:16 is “able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” These darts are the “causes” of the devil seeking to produce unrighteous “effects” in us. The shield of faith keeps us from being enslaved to cause and effect. This is why we can turn the other cheek, keep calm in the midst of every storm of life and let the peace of God rule and reign in our hearts in every situation. This is the blessing of Deuteronomy 28:13 where the Lord promises to make us “the head, and not the tail . . . above only, and . . . not . . . beneath.” In other words, we are the blessed “cause” of God’s will being released, and not the cursed “effect” of men or angels’ manipulation. Jesus said in John 7:24, “Judge not according to appearance (i.e. human cause and effect), but judge righteous judgment.” Gut-living will keep us in covenant and out of soul-control. We will walk free from the control of others. We will walk free of controlling others. Instead, we will flow as sons of God seeking to free fallen creation from all control of fallen men and fallen angels. The key to this is walking in our “gut-unction” with the Lord.

But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. 1 Jn. 2:20.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. Jn. 7:38.

Beloved, we must purge ourselves from all soul-control, no matter how well-intentioned it may seem to be. Soul-control may certainly be selfish in its manifestations. Yet, soul-control may be completely unselfish, but still be totally self-centered. The problem is not whether we do good or evil. The problem is whether we act with the unction of the Spirit or without it. If we act without the Spirit, we are living a self-centered and self-ruled life, whether we realize it or not. We may do “good” deeds, but they are spiritually meaningless because they are done without God. Jesus was far harder on the self-righteous and self-centered religious leaders of His day (though they did many externally good deeds) than He was on the adulterers and other law breakers. In fact, well intentioned soul-control is the most dangerous of all. This person may think he is being spiritual, and may even prophesy, cast out devils and perform miracles; yet in the Lord’s eyes this person is a worker of evil. Consider these chilling verses:

Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Matt. 7:21-23.

The soul uses control. The spirit uses authority. Control comes from man or demon and binds, coerces, deceives, abuses, intimidates, manipulates, and dominates. Authority comes from our covenant standing “in Christ” and delivers, saves, liberates, heals and blesses. Control is witchcraft, rebellion and idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23). Authority is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). There are still two trees in the garden of our lives - - the tree of soul-control and the tree of spirit-unction. One is death and one is life. One is mind-focused and one is gut-focused. One is self-centered and the other is covenant-centered. Choose the right tree wisely. Choose it constantly. Choose it eternally.

Let’s continue to compare and contrast these trees. The fruit of the tree of life gave one eternal life (Gen. 3:22). The New Testament clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is the tree of life personified (Jn. 15:1-16; Rev. 22:1-3). Jesus Christ is the sole source of eternal life (Jn. 3:15; 6:68-69; 10:27-28). Jesus Christ is eternal life (Jn. 14:6). To live off this tree is to live by the faith of Jesus which indwells the righteous. No longer do we live by our own works, our own faith, our own efforts, our own abilities and our own righteousness. He who lives off the tree of life abides in the Sabbath rest of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Heb. 4:10. In contrast, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the tree of sin and death. (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 8:1-4). It is the tree of self-righteousness, of works righteousness, of man’s righteousness, of the letter of the law, of shame and of blame. It is the tree of death because living off its fruit produces an existence voluntarily separated from God’s righteousness and love.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the tree of the law) produces cursed fruit. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Gal. 3:10-13. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified on this cursed tree of the law so that we could be redeemed back to the blessed tree of the spirit - - the tree of eternal life found only in Christ Jesus. The tree of the law produces the following: works righteousness (not the righteousness of faith); the letter of the law which kills faith (not the spirit which gives faith); the ministration of death (not the ministration of life); the ministration of condemnation (not the ministration of forgiveness); the cursings of the law (not the blessings of the spirit); the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law (not the blessing of faith is the spirit and the strength of the spirit is love); abounding of sin (not the abounding of grace); and the knowledge of sin (not the knowledge of God). 2 Cor. 3:13-18; Gal. 3:1-14; 1 Cor. 15:56; Rom. 5:20-26; Rom. 3:20. Hallelujah, we have been set free from this cursed self-exiled existence apart from God. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Jn. 8:36.

But doesn’t Paul say “the law is spiritual” in Romans 7:14? Yes, but the law kills us because we are born fallen, “soulish” and carnal creatures who live off the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All the law is a revelation from God as to systems of control which enslave us through a combination of Satan’s power and our own soulishness. Just as Satan lured Adam and Eve to live off the tree of good and evil, so does Satan seek to lure us to continually eat the same cursed fruit. By itself, the Old Covenant law could save nobody. What the law could do, however, is reveal the systems of Satanic and soulish control which keep us chained to the tree of good and evil. This revealed our desperate need for a savior:

But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:23-26.

Now, with the indwelling Spirit of God, let’s take a fresh look at what the law was really saying for New Covenant believers. Let’s consider the Ten Commandments as God’s “awareness points” about the control systems of the world, systems which still seek to cripple our faith today:

“Thou shalt have no other Gods before (beside) me.” (Ex. 20:3). The New Testament unlocks this Old Testament commandment. The Greek word for “idolatry” is “eidololatreia” and literally means “serving that which is seen, or image-worship.” The root Hebrew word for “knowledge” (as in the tree of knowledge of good and evil) is “yada” and literally means, “to ascertain by seeing.” (See Strongs 1847 and 3045). Adam freely chose to change the mode by which he related to the world. Rather than perceiving all things internally through and by his spirit, Adam chose to perceive things externally through and by his soul. This difference makes all the difference: the difference between faith and idolatry, spirit and soul, and life and death. 2 Corinthians 5:7 echoes this understanding when it declares “we walk by faith and not by sight.” (The Greek word for “sight” is “eidos” and is the same root of “eidololatreia,” the Greek word for idolatry.). Thus, at its root, idolatry is walking by sight rather than by faith.

An idol is an appearance, image, or idea which controls our natural thinking (2 Cor. 10:4-17). As we choose to dwell on it, then we can begin to serve it (worship it) through our fear, worry, dread, or anger. Conversely, we can also serve an image our minds\hearts latch onto with our lust, covetousness, jealousy or enthusiasm. The most damaging and crippling “image” we worship may be our “self-image.” If the self-image is one of self-loathing, self-doubt and self-flagellation, then this will hinder our ability to receive the Father’s love and esteem. Conversely, if our self-image is one of self-promotion, self-justification, and self-protection, then this will hinder our ability to receive God’s kingdom with the necessary humility and meekness. The Holy Spirit will impart a healthy and balanced self-image as we grow in the knowledge of God. But, for this to happen, we must root out idols (appearances) which have chained our minds and hearts.

Idolatry is the mother of all sins. Israel continually fell into it. All the kings of the Old Testament were primarily judged on how they dealt with idolatry. There were horrible kings like Jeroboam who built idols (1 Kgs. 14:7-10). There were indecisive kings like Jehosaphat who did not tear down existing idols (2 Chr. 20:31-33). There were kings like Solomon who started off good but ended up building idols. (1 Kgs. 11:1-13). Finally, there were great kings who mercilessly tore all idols down like Josiah and Hezekiah (2 Kgs. 23:1-28; 2 Kgs. 18:1-6). The whole incident with the Golden Calf in Exodus 32 was about the people demanding a God they could see with their own eyes. Moses was up on Mt. Sinai receiving the law from God. The people became impatient because their “man of God” was out of their sight for too long. They had to have an idol (image) of God they could see externally. At first, it was Moses. Then the Golden Calf. Then the Bronze Serpent (Nu. 21:6-9; 2 Kgs. 18:4). Then their High Places. (Ez. 16:22-24).

The same root evil was behind all these idols: the people had to have an external image of God that they could set their eyes upon. Today, many people are no different. They must have external symbols to worship: steeples, pews, stained glass, altars, robes, pulpits, priests, denominations and meticulously controlled external rituals. Without these externals, many would be lost and shipwrecked. These people are church-worshipers, not God-worshipers (Matt. 15:7-9). Still others seek only external manifestations of God’s power: signs, wonders, glory clouds, etc. These believers walk in continual disappointment unless they see a “light and laser show” from the Lord. All of this is idolatry because it takes our emphasis away from the indwelling presence of God and the inner transformation He is orchestrating in our lives. Jesus said a wicked generation seeks external signs (Lk. 11:29). He also said it is more blessed to believe without seeing externals than it is to believe because you see externals (Jn. 20:29).

I know a righteous man who once asked God to actually see Jesus in a flesh on flesh encounter. The Lord responded that He would grant the request, but that it would set the man’s faith back five years because of his craving for an external sign. The man quickly withdrew his request from the Lord, and the Lord smiled. In the Old Testament, the Israelites saw miracle after miracle, yet it did nothing to transform their inner-being. If you are spiritually high only when miracles are present, then you will spiritually crash whenever they are absent. In this sense, external signs can become an addictive drug which can destroy our inner-faith. Miracles are great, but their effect is only temporary in the scheme of things. But an inner transformation is eternal. This is why we must not serve images\idols\appearances, for as long as we do we will be enslaved to the wisdom from below, which “is earthly, soulish and demonic.” (Jas. 3:15).

I was recently asked which type of ministry I would prefer - - a ministry of receiving inner-revelation or a ministry of healings and miracles. My immediate response was, “Inner-revelation.” The ministry of revelation and teaching changes the heart forever and brings our intimacy with God to ever-closer levels. Healings and miracles are wonderful and are sure to flow in the lives of believers as a part of the inheritance of the saints. But, we must put them in the right perspective. Any external manifestation of God is a crumb compared to the weight of internal glory being worked in us. (2 Cor. 4:16-18). Just as the Old Testament kings were judged based on how thoroughly they dealt with the destruction of idolatry, so too shall we be judged as New Testament kings on how thorough we are in tearing down all images\idols which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. (1 Jn. 5:21; Rev. 1:6).

Another angle to this involves us not judging by appearance. This includes how people look, sound or appear. This includes how music looks, sounds or appears. This includes how culture looks, sounds or appears. This includes how ministry looks, sounds or appears. This includes how finances look, sound or appear. This includes how relationships look, sound or appear. This includes how work looks, sounds or appears. This includes how any event in our lives looks, sounds or appears. This includes how any event in our lives looks, sounds or appears. Sometimes things are in the Spirit exactly how they appear in the natural. But, most times they are not. Without the Spirit to reveal the true nature of things, we are truly blind and deaf. The Gibeonites appeared to Joshua to be from a far country, yet their deceptive appearance tricked Joshua into making a covenant with an enemy right in their midst (Josh. 9). Joshua’s error here was in failing to inquire of the Lord before judging by appearance (Josh. 9:14). We must learn to stop judging by externals, or we too will enter into wrong covenants with disguised enemies in our midst. Like Jesus, we must not judge with the eyes or the ears, but only with and by our indwelling Spirit. Consider the following passage. It describes the nature of Jesus’ spiritual perception and its effect on transforming earthly images of chaos and strife into heavenly images of safety and peace.

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. Is. 11:1-9.

Thus, the key warning of the first commandment is to put no circumstance, appearance, vain imagination or perceived possibility before our trust in God. Any appearance which displaces or diminishes our faith in God is an idol - - it’s that simple. The bottom line of this commandment is crystal clear - - don’t be controlled by the seen - - don’t be a victim of the visible. Let’s restate this first commandment with the New Covenant anointing: Judge not according to appearance, but judge the righteous judgment. Walk by faith in the Spirit and not by the sight of the soul. Do not be controlled by appearance, but be led by the indwelling Holy Spirit. God is a Spirit and those that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all good things will be added to you. (Jn. 7:24; 2 Cor. 5:7; Jn. 4:24; Matt. 6:33).

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Ex. 20:4). If the first commandment is to not be soul-controlled by appearances (idols), then the second commandment is to not soul-control anything in heaven or earth. A “graven” (literally “sculpted”) image is not an image\appearance\idol which controls us. Rather, a “graven image” is an image\appearance\idol we seek to control as a work of our hands or minds. While we are given all authority in heaven and earth to conquer our Lord’s foes, we are not given the mandate to control creation, only to liberate it. Again, control binds while authority liberates. Graven images are rightly compared to voodoo rituals where a small likeness (doll or statue) is created of a person, place or thing the magician wants to control. The shaman will then use needles or other objects to manipulate, coerce, curse or pressure his victim to obey.

Thus, to review, the first commandment orders us not to be controlled by idolatry (worship of the visible). The second commandment instructs us not to control others with what the Old Testament called witchcraft and divination, but what we know today as soul-control. We may not cast formal spells (or we may), but we certainly release a Pandora’s box of controlling thoughts, emotions, imaginations, accusations and manipulations, all meant to “sculpt” our lives into the exact mold we crave in our self-centered world. How often do we re-create or pre-create situations in our minds where we seek to control our world? We continually stick mental needles into our memory images of offensive people\places\events. We replay unpleasant situations in our minds seeking to reinterpret the event to show ourselves in the best light and the offending person or event in the worst light. Alternatively, we may so dread and fear an upcoming encounter, that we may pre-create what we will say, do or feel in order to justify, protect or promote ourselves. This is all control and keeps us from truly interacting spontaneously with God’s Spirit in every situation.

On a much more subtle level, men can “sculpt” ministries, denominations, titles, buildings and money streams - - which all are images “cut” not by the Spirit of God but by the soul-control of man. In the Old Testament, the Israelites made “graven images” at locations known as “high places.” There were two types of high places: high places built to worship foreign Gods (2 Chr. 28:25) and high places built to worship the true God (2 Chr. 33:17). Both were wrong. To worship foreign Gods is to worship demons (Dt. 32:16-18; 1 Cor. 10:14-22; 1 Jn. 5:19-22). However, worshiping the true God at high places was just as wrong because it violated God’s word to worship Yahweh only at Jerusalem (Ps. 132:11-18). Thus, graven images produce the idolatry of either worshiping the false Gods (demons) truly or worshiping the true God falsely. The repentant King Manessah had the courage to remove the high places to false Gods, but he lacked the fortitude to attack the high places to the real God (2 Chr. 33:10-17). The latter is the harder to see and thus is the more dangerous for believers. Worshiping the true God falsely at high places is in essence soulish worship. This worship is the work of man’s hands and is graven. It is self-willed, self-generated, presumptuous, spiritless, unblessed and rebellious because it is not according to God’s pattern of true worship only within God’s temple. In the Old Testament, the Jerusalem temple was the place of God’s presence all Israelites were to center their worship upon. But, for the New Covenant believer, we are the temple of our indwelling God. All worship is now centered upon God’s presence indwelling us, both individually and corporately.

Today, any worship focused on external objects, rituals and appearances is a high place and is not worship according to spirit and truth. It may use God’s name. It may look great. It may sound great. But if it is externally-centered, it is wrong. The Kingdom of God is within us, and it is from here all worship must authentically flow - - rivers of living water flowing from our gut-unction. All other worship is man-made graven imaging. It is made by men, maintained by men and ultimately results in the exaltation of men. Anything entirely man-made is graven, temporal and is wasting away. However, anything co-created by men and God through their spiritual union and cooperation is eternal and blessed. Moreover, our family, jobs, governments and societies can all be “graven images” cut and controlled by the soulishness of man rather than the Divine Nature of God. Our Lord does not want us to control any aspect of our lives, yet He does seek for us to be continually led and empowered in all things by the gut-unction of the Holy Spirit.

The best word for the quality this commandment calls for is “meekness.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary defines “meekness” as an “inwrought grace of the soul. . .towards God. . . .It is that temper of spirit in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting. . . .It must be clearly understood, therefore, that the meekness manifested by the Lord and commanded to the believer is the fruit of power. . . .[M]eekness is the opposite to self-assertiveness and self-interest; it is equanimity of spirit that is neither elated nor cast down, simply because it is not occupied with self at all.” Simply, meekness is the spiritual state of being where we are not seeking our own will in any situation, but only the will of the Heavenly Father. Meekness, then, is a state of spiritual authority minus all self-seeking. It is in this state of continual being that the meek can and will inherit the earth. (See Matt. 11:29; 5:5; 21:5; 1 Pet. 3:4; 2 Cor. 10:1; Titus 3:2; Col. 3:12; 1 Tim. 6:11; 1 Cor. 4:21; Gal. 6:1; 2 Tim. 2:25; Jas. 1:21).

Thus, the second commandment may be stated as follows: You shall not soul-control heaven, earth, sea, God, angel, person, place or thing. Yet, you shall have spiritual dominion to liberate all things to fulfill their God-given purpose. In your meekness you shall inherit the earth. (Matt. 20:25-28; 1 Cor. 13:5; Lk. 10:19; Jn. 20:21-23).

“Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain.” (Ex. 20:7). As explained previously at page 11, the “name” for the Hebrew represents the very nature of the thing. Thus, the “name” of God really means the Divine Nature of God - - His character, authority and power. For the New Covenant Christian, to use the name of God in vain means to misuse Jesus’ Divine Nature which indwells us by His Spirit. We misuse God’s nature by misrepresenting His character, authority, goodness and power. The Hebrew word for vain literally means “unreal.” Anything we do or say which is not grounded in the reality of God’s presence is vanity, vanity, vanity (Matt. 7:21-23). Thus, this commandment is clarified as follows: You shall not misuse the Divine Nature of God in any vain, “unreal,” “unnatural,” “unled,” “unauthentic,” or “unanointed” way. You shall not grieve, quench or resist the Holy Spirit. You shall never minister the Lord’s name without also ministering the Lord’s presence. Let God be real! Walk in the “realness” of God. This commandment really refers to the fear\awe of the Lord, which the Bible refers to as the beginning of wisdom (Pr. 9:10). To be awestruck at God can only come from experiencing His presence. The fear\awe of the Lord makes God’s name one with His presence. (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thes. 5:19; Acts 7:51).

“Thou shalt remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Ex. 20:8). This commandment is illuminated by Hebrews 4:4,9,10,11,12: For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. . . .There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. Jesus’ Divine Nature is our Sabbath rest. These verses make it clear that we are to live every day in the Sabbath rest of God where we have ceased from living out of our own works and our own righteousness. Instead, we live by the faith of our indwelling Christ and by His righteousness. If the third commandment is about walking in the reality of God, then the fourth commandment is about resting in the reality of God. What freedom! What rest! Hear the commandment anew: You shall enter into and remain in the Sabbath rest of the Divine Nature where you cease from your own works and instead work the works of God. This rest will produce the peace of God to reign in your heart and crush Satan under your foot (Rom. 16:20; Col. 3:15).

“Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long” (Ex. 20:12). This commandment is about obeying and blessing our natural and spiritual parents. Ephesians 6:1-3 says to “obey your parents in the Lord.” Jesus said believers would leave natural parents, but would obtain spiritual parents in return (Mk. 10:28-31). Jesus clearly prioritized spiritual family (those who hear the word of God and do it) over natural family (Mk. 3:31-35). Yet, Jesus also honored His natural mother, even as He hung dying on the cross (Jn. 19:25-27). Mary, though, was also a spiritual mother who heard and obeyed the word of God (Lk. 1:38). There were other times when Jesus seemed to downplay Mary’s role as His natural mother. (Mk. 3:31-35; Lk. 11:27-28; Jn. 2:4). I think the best of all options is where our natural parents are also our spiritual parents. This is certainly God’s desire for the saints. Yet, when, for whatever reason, our natural parents are unable, unwilling or unavailable to parent us in the things of the Spirit, God will provide a hundredfold harvest of brothers, sisters and mothers (Mk. 10:28-31).

Yet, fathers are a different matter. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. 1 Cor. 4:15. Paul was a true spiritual father. The apostle John was also a spiritual father who referred in His epistles to his “little children” (1 Jn. 2:1,12,18,28; 5:21; 3 Jn. 4). John also referred to certain elders in the faith collectively as “fathers” (1 Jn. 2:13-14). When Jesus said not to call any man “father” upon the earth (Matt. 23:9), this speaks of not assigning formal titles to men. We are not to call men “Teacher” (though they may teach), “Master” (though they may lead), or “Father” (though they may parent us in the spirit). This passage in Matthew 23:8-12 speaks of not using formal titles with each other because of the potential for man-elevation. God alone is our Teacher, Master and Father (though He may use men to perform these functions in our lives). I believe nothing is more important to the body of Christ than the release of spiritual fatherhood. The fact that all creation is groaning for the manifestation of the sons of God implies a necessary parallel manifestation of the fatherhood of God (Rom. 8:14, 22). God uses men as sons and will also use men as fathers.

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 Jn. 2:13-14.

The generation that receives the full revelation of spiritual sonhood\fatherhood will be the one that never sees death. The only two Old Testament saints who never saw death, Enoch and Elijah, both had a crucial link to the revelation of fatherhood - - both natural and spiritual.

First, Enoch’s walk so pleased God that, “Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Heb. 11:5). Yet, for the first 65 years of his life, Enoch did not walk with God at all. Then something happened. Fatherhood. He had a son -- Methuselah. For the next 300 years, Enoch begat other sons and daughters as he walked with God in blazing intimacy (Gen. 5:21-27). In my life, I was too hardhearted to walk with God until the birth of my first child. This softened my heart to receive the Lord. The same thing happened to Enoch. He made the most of it. He continued to have more children, and I am convinced that he was the finest father who ever lived under the Old Covenant. The reasons? First, the only things we know that Enoch actually did in this Genesis passage was to have children and to please God. Second, Enoch’s firstborn, Methuselah, lived to be the oldest man in the Old Testament at 969 years. The only cause for such a long life comes from Exodus 20:12 where we see honoring parents results in long life. The same concept is repeated in the New Testament with approval.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. Eph. 6:1-3.

The only conclusion can be that Enoch had a near perfect relationship with his son that brought them both a double blessing. First, God was so pleased with Enoch’s fatherhood that God translated him without seeing death. Second, God was so pleased with Methuselah’s honoring of his father that the son was able to live a thousand years of blessed life.

If Enoch was the Old Testament shadow of a perfect natural father, then Elijah is the Old Testament shadow of the perfect spiritual father. Consider this passage, which is in fact the last in the Old Testament:

Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers . . . Mal. 4:5-6.

Yet, Elijah had no children. Or did he? Elisha was his spiritual son as is revealed in the following passage:

And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he answered, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on. And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. 2 Kg. 2:1-15.

This passage reveals Elijah as completely uncontrolling but completely willing for Elisha to not only have the same mantle of spiritual power Elijah wore, but also to receive a double portion of greater anointing. A true spiritual father will always give all that he has to a spiritual son along with an earnest blessing of exponential anointing. In other words, the father wants to give a son twice as much as he himself has. What selfless eagerness and true agape love. No wonder God took Elijah up without seeing death. Notice also that Elijah didn’t micro-manage Elisha by giving scrolls of instructions to follow in order to obtain Elijah’s anointing. Elijah merely told Elisha, in effect, to follow Elijah as Elijah followed God, the exact same advice Paul gave to his spiritual sons (1 Cor. 11:1). Elisha honored both God and Elijah with his obedience and incredible persistence. Their father-son relationship echoed that of Enoch and Methuselah. Both fathers were authoritative, yet non-controlling. Both sons were obedient and eager to follow and honor their fathers. This is the spirit of God’s purpose for the earth - - to reveal the fatherhood of God through the fatherhood of men and the sonship of Jesus through the sonship of men. The two relationships have always gone together and will always go together. As spiritual sons, we must always be eager and obedient to go and grow as the Father leads. As spiritual fathers, we must always lay our lives down for our sons to not just possess our same anointing in the Lord, but to exceed our anointing exponentially. In a very real way, we are each called to be both sons and fathers. As we mature, we will understand the difference while growing in the true knowledge of God.

Consider the following excerpt which discusses Abraham’s dual role as both an open-hearted spiritual son and an open-hearted spiritual father:

“A beautiful poetic phrase, used repeatedly in the ancient Hebrew text, when God calls upon Abraham to be his spiritual son, is the reply ‘Heneini - here I am.’ On another level, Abraham, more than just responding to God, is announcing to Isaac, his one and only son, ‘Heneini – here I am!’; and perhaps today, in quite a similar way, most fathers are trying to let their sons know that they are there, ready to love, comfort, and protect them.” Real Boys, William Pollack, Ph.D., p. 118.

The keys to honoring parents depends on whether they are natural parents, spiritual parents or both. For a natural parent, we honor them in natural obedience, natural affection and natural trust. We bless their natural needs according to our ability and maturity. However, we do not allow ourselves to be manipulated by their soul-control. Nor do we seek to manipulate them with our soul-control. As we remain centered in Christ, the Spirit will lead us to the right action when encountering a controlling parent. It might be silence. It might be laughter. It might be a confrontation. It might be agreement. The point is that our response will not be an effect of a soulish cause. Rather, our response will be based on an interaction with the Spirit.

Similarly, the key to honoring a spiritual mother or father is in spiritual obedience, spiritual affection and spiritual trust. God wants to bless us with a family on this earth. This is part of our inheritance. It is here that we must stay teachable, respect the walk of those older in the faith and trust those that God has put in our lives to help guide us.

Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation? Heb. 13:7.

The word “rule” here is better translated as “guide.” But, be careful. Don’t presume that an older saint is automatically a spiritual parent. Unfortunately, hardening of the attitudes can occur at any age. True spiritual parents will themselves be loving but zealous, wise but teachable, gentle but bold, authoritative but not controlling, fluid but uncompromising on issues of spirit versus soul.

A controlling manipulator may say, “Trust me.” But, an authoritative spiritual parent will say, “Trust God in me with the God who is in you.” We must learn to discern control from authority. Control demands while authority commands. Control comes from man. Authority comes from God. Control takes. Authority gives. Control makes you serve it. Authority serves you. Spiritual parents will never control us. They will encourage us, challenge us, comfort us, unconditionally love us and help guide us into greater and greater knowledge of God. We must learn to trust God in each other. This is the way of family, the way of the body, the way of the true church.

This commandment revamped is as follows: You shall honor your natural parents in the natural and your spiritual parents in the spiritual. Parents are defined the same way in both the natural and the spiritual: parents are the people who together give birth to you and then help grow you to maturity. Natural parents do this in the natural, while spiritual parents do it in the spiritual. Both are to be honored. Honor comes from remaining teachable, thankful, trusting and tenderhearted toward our parents. I think the operative word here is “faithfulness,” which implies loyalty, reliability, dedication and submission. Faithfulness to His Father is the girdle of Jesus’ reins (Is. 11:5). May it also be ours. All honor is ultimately due to our Heavenly Father, in “whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (Jas. 1:17). To honor our parents is to honor God.

“Thou shalt not kill.” (Ex. 20:13). The soulish understanding of this commandment only sees a violation if an actual murder occurs. Jesus came with the spiritual understanding that the root violation of this commandment is not murder but anger.

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Matt. 5:21-23.

However, anger is the expression of an even deeper problem - - impatience. Impatience is the incubator of anger in all its forms: frustration, rage, jealously, violence, depression, hate, hardness, resentment, unforgiveness, bitterness, intimidation, abuse and revenge. But, if we continually live in blessed patience, then anger has no access into our heart.

In your patience possess ye your souls. Lk. 21:19.

That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Heb. 6:12.

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Jas. 1:2-4.

I know of no better gauge of our current level of soul-control than our current level of impatience. Every time we are impatient, we are also in soul-control. Impatience is a heart condition which can arise whenever our will is thwarted, frustrated or rejected by person, event or circumstance. If our soul-controlled will is not being thwarted, frustrated or rejected, then impatience is not a problem because we are “getting our way.” Yet, the moment that we don’t get our way in a situation, a soul-controlled man will become impatient while a Spirit-controlled man will let the God of peace rule and reign in his heart and crush Satan under foot (Rom. 16:20; Col. 3:15). Soul-controlled impatience will breed demands, threats and ultimatums. Spirit-controlled patience will restrain the tongue, acknowledge God and command peace into the situation at hand.

Whenever we struggle with impatience, we also struggle with control. This is why the trials of life perfect our character through the establishment of faith and patience. (Jas. 1:2-4). For me, driving in traffic provides me an exercise in releasing my control and laying hold of the peace of God. So too do my seven children provide a perfect anvil on which the Holy Spirit can temper my spiritual sword. The same can be said for every trial of our life in every area. This is why we can count it all joy all the time.

It is important to realize that the absence of impatience does not mean we are automatically patient. The Greek word translated “patience” really means “joyful endurance.” Thus, true spiritual patience is not achieved by just not being angry, depressed or jealous. That may be a good start, but true patience is the heart condition which joyfully endures the trial by releasing faith, hope and love to work the works of God. Never just “bear up” under the pressure of life like a lamb being led silently to the slaughter. “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Rom. 8:37). There is a righteous zeal with which we are to passionately love God and hate evil (Jn. 2:17; Gal. 4:18; Heb. 1:9). However, this is a positive emotion which is clean, peaceful and in which we feel the Lord’s pleasure.

Remember, soul-control produces a heart environment of impatience. Impatience breeds and cultivates the germ of anger. Anger then infects our hearts with the fleshly “response–states” of frustration, rage, jealousy, bitterness, revenge, unforgiveness, depression, helplessness, hate, hardness, resentment, intimidation, abuse, violence and murder. It all begins with soul-control and ends in murder. Murder, in this sense, is a state of unforgiveness in our heart toward another. We essentially “kill” that person or persons in our hearts by refusing to forgive and bless them. Unforgiveness shoots floods of negative energy towards both ourselves and the ones we resent. To forgive is to “un-murder” somebody in your heart. This projects the resurrection power of love out of our spirits towards them. To resurrect someone spiritually dead to us through our imparting forgiveness to them is far more eternally important than resurrecting someone who is physically dead. Looking at it this way, each of us has the power to raise the dead every day. (Jn. 2:1-12). This is how the body of Christ must function for the kingdom of God to reign on the earth.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Matt. 5:43-48.

After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. . .And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. . .For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matt. 6:9-10,12,14-15.

And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. Mk. 11:22-26.

Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. Jn. 20:21-23.

Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth. He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. 1 Jn. 2:8-11.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 1 Jn. 3:15.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 1 Jn. 4:20.

Jesus said hatred is murder. So is frustration. So is rage. So is jealousy. So is revenge. So is unforgiveness. So is depression. So is helplessness. So is hardness. So is resentment. So is abuse (verbal, mental or physical). So is intimidation. So is violence. All of these destructive “response-states” are governed by the spirit of murder. The only cure is the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. In Christ we have the patience to joyfully endure until the victory in the situation is won. This is the patience of the saints by which we will righteously possess our souls (Lk. 21:19).

Thus, the sixth commandment is updated by the New Testament as follows: You shall not be impatient. In your patience (joyful endurance) you will spiritually possess your soul by gradually eliminating all soul-control. Count it all joy when your faith is tried, knowing that the trying of your faith produces patience (joyful endurance). But let patience have its perfect work so that you may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. (Lk. 21:19; Jas. 1:2-4; Eph. 31-32).

“Thou shalt not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14). Jesus said the spirit of this commandment is violated if a man lusts after another woman in his heart (Matt. 5:27-28). I believe the root of this commandment reveals the key to spiritually understanding the most powerful force known to man - - lust. The New Testament is clear that righteous lust is a great thing:

Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? Jas. 4:4-5.

But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. Gal. 4:18.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Gal. 5:17.

For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 2 Cor. 7:11.

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Jn. 2:16-17.

Lust is defined in the dictionary as “an overmastering desire and eagerness to experience and enjoy.” Thus, lust is a good word to describe our passionate desire to experience and enjoy both the presence of our spouses and the presence of our God. Zeal is also an appropriate synonym for lust. In the Greek, “zeal” (zeo\zelos) means “boiling or glowing passion.” The object of Jesus’ zeal quoted above in John 2:16-17 was for the purity of His Father’s temple\house. Beloved, we are the New Testament temple\house for which Jesus’ zeal now burns (1 Cor. 3:16-17; Heb. 3:6; 1 Pet. 2:5). This is why Jesus’ spirit lusteth in us to envy (Jas. 4:5). We must likewise lust for the Divine Nature to be fully manifest in every area of our lives.

While love is to be bestowed on all men, lust is only to be bestowed on our marital covenant partners - - our spouse and our God. Adultery in the Bible always refers either to the act of betrayal between man and wife or to the act of betrayal between man and God (see Ez. 23; Hos. 1-2; 9:1; Matt. 12:39; 16:4; Rev. 2:20-22). This comparison is further enhanced by Paul’s revelation of the mystery of human marriage as the exact earthly image of the heavenly bond between Christ and the church (Eph. 5:22-32). Thus, marital fidelity mirrors spiritual fidelity, marital lust mirrors spiritual lust, and marital adultery mirrors spiritual adultery.

To God, idolatry is adultery, especially and particularly when we pour our passion into any activity without the presence of God’s Spirit. The key to passionate living is not drumming up soulish enthusiasm for all our daily endeavors. This is hyped-up “positive thinking” which is itself adultery with the spirit of the world. No, the true key to passionate living is to fervently seek union with God in every activity of our lives - - from combing our hair to raising our children to doing our jobs to loving our wives. If our passion is always focused on the Lord, then it will explode into every area of our lives.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. Col. 3:23.

To the world, we will certainly appear as passionate spouses, parents, workers, athletes, etc. However, our passion is covenant based on our continual and vibrant desire to experience God first in all our ways. Whereas Michael Jordan’s passion for the game propels him to success, a Christian will have passion to experience God in the game. Some couples want to experience children. Christian parents must desire to experience God in the raising of children. Married couples want to experience sexual union. Christian couples must want to experience God in their sexual union. People may aspire to be doctors, lawyers or carpenters. Christians must aspire to experience God in medicine, law or carpentry. And the list goes on. Guard your passion and always spend it first on the pursuit of God in all things. In this way, you will truly reconcile all things to Christ (2 Cor. 5:19).

Isn’t it interesting that Jesus twice said, “An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign. . .” Matt. 12:39; 16:4? Jesus considered the lusting after external signs from God to be adulterous to our faith. From this angle, worship which is focused on external appearance is adultery in the Lord’s eyes.

Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matt. 23:25-28.

Jesus taught that the passions of the world don’t defile us from without. Rather, our passion for the world defiles us from within when we wrongly release it out of our hearts without God’s presence or purpose. This leads to defilement from every kind of sin.

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mk. 7:14-23.

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Jas. 1:12-16.

James likewise calls friendship with the external world adultery (Jas. 4:4). Again, we must not pour out our passion toward the external world, but only toward the internal world of the indwelling spirit.

And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Lk. 17:20-21.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor. 4:16-18.

Does this mean its wrong to have a passion for sports, movies, music or television? No, of course not, if our passion is integrated and fused with our passion for God. I go to movies with God. I go looking to interact with God, to hear insight from Him, to share a fun moment with Him. The same with music. The same with sports. The same with television (most of the time). We are not to disengage from reality by withdrawing from it. Rather, we are to have our passion to seek God in everything. As we grow in this, we will know which movies, music, sports and television to engage and which to limit or avoid altogether. We will be so sensitized to the pleasure of the Lord, we will know when to close our eyes, switch the channel, skip the song or leave the theater\field. All things are permitted, but not all things are profitable (1 Cor. 10:23). Passion for God leads us to the blessed profit margin of choosing the best activities for our lives. The key is that we go with God and exercise our spiritual senses to comply with Jeremiah 15:19:

Therefore thus saith the LORD, If thou return, then will I bring thee again, and thou shalt stand before me: and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: let them return unto thee; but return not thou unto them. Jer. 15:19.

To extract the precious from the vile is to hear God’s purpose or insight for a thing - - even a fallen thing. This lets us engage in what the Jewish sages call “Tikkun ha Olam,” which means “repairing the world.” Our righteous passion is what God uses to re-create this world in the image of Christ. We take the seed of a pure thing out of its vile environment, dip it into our indwelling anointing, then the thing is reconciled unto God through us. Hallelujah - - righteous lust for God in our everyday lives is the key to unlock blessing, healing and restoration upon the earth. Unrighteous lust pours defilement and sin out of our hearts, while righteous lust for God enables and empowers us to enjoy life and interact with God in the midst of His creation.

The ancient Greeks never wrote obituaries. Instead, they asked only one question about the deceased: “Did he have passion?” I believe the Lord also makes this same inquiry. Nothing displeases the Lord more than a lack of passion:

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Rev. 3:15-16.

Conversely, nothing pleases the Lord more than our passion for Him:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Matt. 22:37-38.

Disraeli said, “Man is only truly great when he acts from the passions.” Passion pursues. Passion possesses. Passion prevails. However, this passion is not ours. It is the passion of Jesus Himself indwelling us. His Divine Nature provides us a reservoir of righteous zeal. His passion saved us. His passion fills us. Jesus calls us to passion-filled lives. “I have come to bring fire.” Lk. 12:49.

The New Testament meaning of the seventh commandment is as follows: You shall not misuse your passion by directing it toward any activity where you are not doing it “as unto the Lord.” Just as lusting after women outside of the marriage covenant is adultery in the natural, spiritual adultery is lusting after anything in life without first passionately seeking God’s presence in and through it. This is the fulfillment of Jesus’ command to continually seek first the Kingdom of God, after which all good things will be added to us (Matt. 6:33).

“Thou shalt not steal.” (Ex. 20:15). Jesus summarized the root of this commandment when He said,

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marvelled at him. Mk. 12:17.

If we fail to do this, we have stolen from God and\or man. The question then is what are we to “render” God and what are we to “render” to Caesar (Man)?

Let’s start with Caesar, which represents both human beings and human government. For human beings, what we must render them is clear, “Owe no man anything but to love him.” (Rom. 13:8). As we have been loved by God, so do we “owe” the exact same debt to the rest of fallen humanity. Consider the parable to the unforgiving servant (Matt. 18:21-35). He was forgiven his great debt by the merciful king, yet the servant refused to forgive other men who were only slightly indebted to him. When the king heard of it, he cast the servant back into prison to be tortured by the jailers until every cent of the original debt had been paid.

Like the servant, the Lord has forgiven us a great debt. In turn, we are to forgive and love all those we encounter. If we don’t, then we have “stolen” Jesus’ gift to them though us - - our love, our forgiveness and our blessing. When we commit this theft, we cast ourselves back into a demonic stronghold of unforgiveness where we are afflicted by dark angels of torment. God reluctantly withdraws His Spirit of grace and forgiveness, not because He chooses but because He must. Our positive response to God’s grace (our forgiveness of others) opens up even more channels of grace to flow toward us. But, our negative response to God’s grace (our unforgiveness of others) causes the grace we were previously given to be withdrawn. This is the sowing and reaping our freewill choices use to reject, restrict or release God’s grace. This is one of the governing dynamics of the spiritual universe - – God’s limitless grace can only be accessed through the faith responses of man.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Eph. 2:8.

If we are to render love and forgiveness to all human beings, then what are we to render to human government? With regard to human government, we owe Caesar obedience to the laws of the land unless and until the Holy Spirit commands us otherwise.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 1 Pet. 2:13-15.

If we violate human laws, then we are “stealing” from the authority God has ordained. Obviously, if that government is demanding a believer to violate God’s spiritual commands, then the believer cannot violate his conscience. However, short of that, the believer owes good citizenship to government because it is God ordained. God does not ordain evil governments like Nazi Germany or Saddam’s Iraq, yet the concept and orderly function of a fair government God does approve (Rom. 13:3). Evil governments will fall because of their sowing and reaping.

When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Prov. 29:2.

Now, what are we to render God? That is simple - - everything.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom. 12:1-2.

Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all. 1 Chr. 29:11.

For the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof. 1 Cor. 10:26.

For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col. 1:16-17.

Wow! Our duty to God is stated sweetly in Micah 6:8:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Mic. 6:8.

It is stated more passionately in Matthew 22:37-38:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. Matt. 22:37-38.

To “steal” from God is to not give him all your heart, soul, mind and strength. This is really the concept of the tithe, by which we give God the first and best fruits of our lives. At its root, the tithe is making God our prime motivation for everything we do, say, think or dream. We are to tithe our time, our effort, our resources and our passion into and unto God. “A tithe of everything. . .belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” (Lev. 27:30-33). Jewish interpretation of the Old Testament law held that, “A person who undertakes to be reliable must tithe what he eats, what he sells and what he buys; and he may not stay as a guest with an àmha àretz (an unlearned one)” Mishna: Demai 2:2. The Talmud allowed only tithed fruit to be eaten (Tractate Ma àserot). In other words, tithing is putting God first in all things. Thus, to not tithe is to rob God in violation of the Eighth Commandment.

Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed: for ye shall be a delight some land, saith the LORD of hosts. Mal. 3:8-12.

Think about that. The tithe is about giving our first and best to God in all things. What is our “first and best?” One thing and one thing only - - our motivation. To tithe to God is to first acknowledge Him in all things.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Pr. 3:5-6.

In finances, tithing is not giving ministers 10% of our income and spending the other 90% however we want. Tithing is acknowledging the Lord as our first and best motivation in all our finances. In other words, if I yield my finances to God for His Lordship and pleasure, then His Spirit will lead me on how to steward 100% of my income. Of that, I will surely sow a significant amount to blessed servants and\or causes the Lord favors. However, it will be at His direction and not by some mechanical formula. God doesn’t want 10% of our income. He wants Lordship over 100% of it through our total devotion to Him. The tithe represents our heart acknowledging, seeking and yielding to God as the center of its true focus and motivation. God must be our center - - our extreme center - - not for His sake but ours (Dt. 14:29). We tithe any situation, relationship, action, thought or emotion by centering it on God. Practical and effective ways we can perform this centering include word confession, prayer, meditation and tongues. Training ourselves to pray in tongues throughout the day is an excellent way to tithe “on the go.” Thus, everything from marital intimacy to parenting to house cleaning to job success can all be tithed to God, centered in God, and ultimately blessed by God.

In the Old Testament, the tithes were to be brought to the house of God then located at Israel’s center - - the Jerusalem Temple (Dt. 12:5-14; 14:22-26). Tithes from there were then distributed to the servants of God (Levites) and to the needy (the stranger, orphan and widow). (See Nu. 18:21-26; Dt. 14:27-29; 26:12-15). But for the New Testament believer, we internalize the tithe because we are now the Temple of God (1 Cor. 3:16). We now tithe our motive and passion to our center - - the Divine Nature of Christ who lives inside us. Out of this tithe the Divine Nature is then released out of us to work the works of God. Part of these works will be to bless God’s servants as well as the orphans and widows, but it will be at the unction of our indwelling Christ.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us. Eph. 3:20.

Tithing is not about money, it’s about motive. That God evaluates tithing by motive rather than formula is established by 2 Corinthians 8:1-9 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-8. But, how do we find our true motives? How can we really know why we do what we do? How can we be sure our motive is purely and solely God?

O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Jer. 10:23.

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? Jer. 17:9.

Our true motive can only be revealed one way - - by the indwelling Spirit.

For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. 2:11.

Remember, for the New Testament believer, the Word (Logos) represents the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells our spirit. With this understanding, Hebrews 4:12 takes on special meaning:

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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. Heb. 4:12.

Thus, only the Divine Nature of Christ indwelling us can show us our true motive for life. More than that, the Divine Nature seeks to merge into our heart motive - - to purify it, unify it and fortify it. Praise God, we can know that we know that we know that we know that we are seeking first the Kingdom of God.

There is an important distinction between motive and intent. As defined in Black’s Law Dictionary, “motive” is the moving course, the impulse, the desire that moves the will and induces action. “Intent” is the purpose or design with which the act is done. “Motive” is “what” drives you. “Intent” is “where” and “how” you drive.

Our legal system doesn’t require a criminal defendant’s “motive” be proven to sustain a conviction. However, “intent” must always be proved as an element of the crime. Or, put another way, legalism doesn’t care what your heart motivation is, only what your mental intent and state of mind was at the time of the act. In other words, did you intend to commit the crime as a natural consequence of your action? “Heat of passion” defenses can reduce punishment, but not guilt. It is important to see that “motive” precedes “intent.” The first domino in our actions is never “intent,” but always “motive.” Motive is the spark that ignites the intent of the will, but it is not the will. Motive is our current inspiration for life. It is what energizes us to get out of bed, to excel in sports\studies\work, to love or hate, to embrace or fight, to keep trying or surrender. Simply put, our motivation is the issue we value most in the center of our heart at any given time. From this focus our mind will then form intent. “Intent” is a product of the human will. “Motive” is a product of the human heart and gut. Seen another way, “motive” is the spirit out of which we operate - - the spirit of the world or the Spirit of Christ. Even as Spirit-baptized believers, we can vacillate between an earthly and heavenly motivation\spirit. This results in a schizophrenic, double-minded unsanctified, roller coaster spirituality which leaves us unstable in all our ways. (Jas. 1:5-8).

I can certainly “intend” many Godly acts - - prayer, worship and charitable giving. Yet, my true “motive” which propels my will to act may well be sinful, selfish, self-centered, self-condemning, self-exalting, or soulish. If we are not careful, we can confuse our intent with our motive. We can think because we “intend” (design or plan) acts which “appear” righteous, then we are righteous. All the while, our motive may remain hidden, impure and unchallenged. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit, no man can purify or even know his true motivations in life. However, the Holy Spirit’s ministry convinces men of sin (Jn. 16:9). As we see the areas of our lives where we have not “tithed” by making God our sole motivating force, then we are able to repent by “centering” our hearts on the indwelling presence and purposes of God. This is the role of the indwelling Logos, the Divine Nature of Christ, to reveal and replace our fallen motivation with the motivation of Jesus Himself (Heb. 4:12). This is the New Covenant - - the power to become Sons of God (Jn. 1:12).

Picture the carpenter’s tool known as a “level,” which is a device used for determining or adjusting something to a horizontal surface. The level is laid upon any horizontal surface. If the level is on a perfectly flat or even surface, the liquid bubble in the level will be centered in the middle between two lines marked on the exterior of the glass tube. If, however, the surface is not flat or even, then the liquid bubble will cross over the markings on the tube either to the left or to the right - - depending on which side the imbalance exists.

I believe that this is a perfect model of the human heart. The liquid bubble is our motivation. When it is centered in the Divine Nature, our heart is balanced and level. When our motivation gets off-centered, it moves out of the Divine Nature into one of two states of imbalance - - the spirit of the world to the left or the spirit of Anti-Christ to the right. The spirit of the world is the “evil” fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - - the lust of the flesh or the lust of the eyes - - in other words, those desires which on their face are evil. However, the spirit of anti-Christ is the “good” fruit on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil - - the pride of life which drives us to do good apart from the unction of the Divine Nature - - in other words, our good intentions motivated not by the indwelling Christ but by the self-ruling soul. Anti-Christ is any spirit which denies that Jesus’ Divine Nature now inhabits your flesh (1 Jn. 4:1-3). Thus, any attempt at good without the unction of the Divine Nature is Anti-Christ, whether it be Islam, Buddhism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Humanism or even “apparent” Christianity when it is not based on complete submission to the indwelling Spirit of Christ. The Spirit of the world robs and perverts our passion into lust for evil. The spirit of the anti-Christ robs and perverts our compassion into “spiritless” goodness.

We must learn to center our motive continually in the Divine Nature which inhabits the very core of our being. This is the tree of life flanked on either side by the knowledge of good and evil, all located in the garden of our heart. However, as the Divine Nature of the tree of life expands downward, upward and outward in our hearts, then the two other spirits of death are uprooted and evicted from our lives. Thus, the tree of life must grow and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil must go.

The dictionary defines “motive” as “an idea, belief or emotion that impels or incites one to act.” Just as a great stage actor must find the true motivation in becoming “one” with his character on stage, so must we ever find and flow from our first and best motive - - knowing God. Motive in this sense is another way to describe faith. True faith is centering our motivation “in Christ” for every breath and action we take. This is the tithe Jesus is talking about in Luke 18:18-30 where Jesus told the Rich Young Ruler, who had kept the Old Testament law of tithing, that he must give up everything to follow Jesus. So must we. Ten percent isn’t nearly enough. God must have it all. We can give up everything and follow Jesus through the New Testament tithe. God doesn’t want our money or possessions. He wants our heart - - our motive - - our inspiration.

From this angle, the indwelling “Logos” is to be our constant motivation in all things, while the outflowing “Rhema” is the intent of God revealed to us in any situation. When God says we are to guard the heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the issues of life,” the Hebrew word for “issues” literally means “deliverances” (Pr. 4:23). Thus, we are to guard our heart motivation in all things, for out of it flow the intents of the Lord for our lives which will deliver us from evil. As we acknowledge the Lord in all our ways (i.e. motivation), the Lord will direct our paths (i.e. with His intents) and deliver us from all the power of the enemy (Pr. 3:5-6; Lk. 10;19).

Consider the following verses from the Amplified Bible:

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Pr. 3:5-6.

Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. Pr. 16:3.

A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. Pr. 16:9.

The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. Ps. 37:23.

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. You have done foolishly in this: therefore, from now on you shall have wars. 2 Chr. 16:9.

But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. Matt. 6:33.

When we truly tithe all to God, we will be so full of the Divine Nature that we will explode upon the earth as manifest sons of God. We will save the lost, feed the poor, heal the sick and have all things in common with each other. We will be diligent at work, at home, in our finances, in our giving and in our receiving. These are the windows of blessing God is bursting at the seams to open on the generation who walks in the fullness of the tithe. The Christian writer and lover of God, Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), said it this way: “Purity of heart is to will one thing.” The New Testament tithe is that one thing - - a pure and undivided motive to seek first the Kingdom of God in all things.

Thus, the New Testament meaning of the Eighth Commandment is as follows: Render unto God what is God’s by tithing your heart, soul, mind and strength to Him. Make God your true and first motivation and inspiration for all things by tithing all your time, effort and resources to Him. Render unto man what is man’s by owing him nothing but to love him. Finally, render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s by being a good citizen by obeying God-ordained government.

“Thou shalt not bear false witness.” (Ex. 20:16; Dt. 5:20). In the two versions of the ten commandments located in Exodus and Deuteronomy, different Hebrew words are used for the term “bear false witness.” The Hebrew word in Exodus means “lying or untrue.” The Hebrew word in Deuteronomy means “insincere, empty or frivolous.” Thus, the full meaning of this command prohibits not only lying, but also insincerity, vanity, foolishness and shallowness. Satan, then, is not only the father of lies (Jn. 8:44); Satan is also the father of shallowness. So many men today are guilty not of outright lying, but of inward shallowness. Show me a shallow man and I will show you a man deceived by Satan. All men are made in the image of God. All men are called to spiritual depth - - to read and understand scripture, to flow in the gifts of the Spirit and to hear the voice of God.

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. Heb. 8:10-11.

Bearing false witness, then, includes not only common lying, but also common shallowness, laziness and lukewarmness. This expansive definition is important. It highlights that we are just not violating this commandment when we are “telling” lies, but also when we are “being” a lie. We are “being” a lie whenever we are not actively and continually cultivating the divine nature of Christ which indwells us.

There is a Latin term, “mundus vult decepi” which means “the world wants to be deceived.” Men hide from God behind fig leaves of deception - - vain imaginations which rise up against the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:3-5). It doesn’t matter whether these vain imaginations are nice or bad, good or evil, noble or wicked, because they all lack the crucial element - - the Lord’s presence. They are all “vain” because they are devoid of the Divine Nature. This is why we must take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ’s Divine Nature within us.

Jesus isn’t just full of truth. Jesus is the truth (Jn. 14:6). How is that for a new definition of truth? Anything not of the Divine Nature is a lie. This Spirit of Christ within us is called “the Spirit of truth” who will guide us “into all truth.” (Jn. 16:13). We shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free (Jn. 8:32). The truth is a “who,” not a “what.” The word (Logos) of God is the truth. (Jn. 17:17). Thus, the indwelling Divine Nature of Christ is the truth which we must believe in, yield to, merge with, rest in, obey, enjoy, excite, reconcile, reveal and release. Poor Pilate. When he asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (Jn. 18:38), little did Pilate realize that the answer to his question was standing before him. For us, this same embodiment of truth doesn’t stand next to us, but rather within us. We are not like poor Pilate. We know truth as a “who,” and not a “what.” Moreover, we know this “who” is “one” with who we are. This is the only truth that matters.

Truth is not a virtue. Truth is a person. This is a shocking revelation. A man can be completely honest, yet entirely untruthful - - if the honesty is not motivated by the Divine Nature. A statement can be completely factual, yet entirely untruthful - - if it is not processed through the Divine Nature. A doctrine can be completely accurate, yet entirely untruthful - - if it is not released by the Divine Nature. An action can be completely virtuous, yet entirely untruthful - - if that action is not driven by the Divine Nature. This is a high standard, but remember this, “let God be true, but every man a liar.” (Rom. 3:4).

The mark of spiritual maturity is not just to recognize when something is spirit-given, but also whether it is spirit-driven. Too often we assume a man, event or idea originally blessed by the Spirit is also currently operating with the Spirit. This is a fatal mistake. This is why gifted men can become spiritual tyrants, why revivals can become graveyards and why great sounding ideas can become roadblocks to the anointing.

Sometimes, yesterday’s fresh manna is today’s rotten religion. Yesterday’s anointing can be today’s anti-Christ. Yesterday’s blessed idea can be today’s cursed idea. Yesterday’s rhema can be today’s deception. The key to wisdom is fluidity. We must hear God continually - - beginning, middle, end - - before, during, after - - second, minute, hour - - today, here, now. We must always flow in the “now”ness, “near”ness and “new”ness of God. Being flexible, fluid and fresh keeps us free to hear, free to decide, free to change our mind, and free to stick to our guns. This is what it means to be a fresh wineskin - - continually adapting to our ongoing and ongrowing knowledge of God (Mk. 2:22).

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. 2 Pet. 3:18.

The ninth commandment is restated as follows: Walk in the Spirit of truth in all your ways. Be authentic, natural and earnest with God, man and yourself. Allow the indwelling Divine Nature of Christ to reveal all things to you and through you.

10.

“Thou shalt not covet” (Ex. 20:17). This is the only one of the Ten Commandments which, on its face, refers to an inner attitude rather than an external action. The Greek word for “covet” is “epithumeo” and means “to set the heart upon.”

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 Jn. 2:16-17.

Covetousness is the “lust of the eyes” and is to be distinguished from the “lust of the flesh” and the “pride of life” in the above passage.

The “lust of the flesh” is our misdirected passion which seeks to consume earthly experiences (sex, drugs, food, alcohol, etc.). These are all sins of consumption were our flesh lusts after the experience itself. After the experience is over, we have no desire to retain possession of the object we consumed. The sex addict doesn’t seek to possess women permanently, only to experience them sexually. The drug addict doesn’t keep drugs as a connoisseur or collector - - he obtains drugs to experience them. Gluttons don’t collect food to possess it on their shelves - - gluttons crave the consumption experience the food provides. This is the “lust of the flesh” which 1 John 2:16 describes. The seventh commandment discussed earlier is really about not misdirecting our passion. Passion is consumptive by nature. Our passion for God is our drive to experience Him - - to consume His blood and His body - - His word and His spirit. The “lust of the flesh” is our misdirected passion which seeks to consume the experiences of the world apart from God.

The “pride of life” is our soulish independence which seeks to retain control of our own lives. It describes the atheist who sees no need to submit to God. It describes agnostics who remain unconvinced of their need for God. It describes believers who hang on to stubborn issues not yielded fully to God. Lastly, it refers to believers who ignore the Divine Nature of Christ indwelling them and the call to Lordship which this entails. Anybody who fails to see his or her absolute need for union with and submission to the indwelling Lordship of the Divine Nature in every aspect of life is guilty of the “pride of life.” This attitude can run through all violations of the ten commandments to some degree.

The “lust of the eyes” is something different. Whenever our hearts seek to possess an earthly object, the sin of covetousness has been committed. There is nothing wrong with physical possession of goods. But there is everything wrong with “heart-possession” of goods. We must never set our heart’s desire for earthly objects. The heart is reserved for God - - and God certainly blesses earthly objects - - but only for those whose heart is set upon Him.

We must learn to “dispossess” our hearts from the cares of the world.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 Jn. 2:15-17.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col. 3:2.

The problem with the rich young ruler (Mk. 10:17-27) was not that he owned many things, but that his many things owned him. His possessions possessed his heart. Beloved, our hearts are virgin territory reserved only for the love of God. If we whore our hearts away to the cares and riches of the world, we will miss the true and faithful love of our husband God. Again, the rich young ruler’s problem was not that he was rich, but that his heart trusted in riches.

When the book of Acts describes the early Christians as having “all things in common” (Acts 4:32), this refers to an elimination of all possessiveness and covetousness.

And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. . . .Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. Acts 4:32, 34-35.

The key in all this is guarding and reserving our heart motivation for the pleasure of God. This delivers us from coveting and releases a supernatural flow of provision in and provision out. If our hearts hold on to nothing but God, then our generosity to bless all men will explode out into the fallen world. This happened to the first church and it can happen to us. Hallelujah!

In conclusion, the tenth commandment is restated as follows: You shall not be possessive. You shall not be greedy. You shall not set your heart on the things of the world. You shall be generous. You shall sow bountifully and reap bountifully. You shall aggressively seek to bless others.

MINI - REVIEW

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS\THE TEN WORDS

(àseret hadevarim)

Thou shalt have no other Gods before (beside) me ➔ You shall not be controlled by externals ➔ You shall walk by faith and not by sight ➔ Faith\Believe.

Thou shalt not make graven images ➔ You shall not seek to control externals ➔You shall not seek your will but only the Father’s will to be done ➔ Meekness\Yield.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain ➔ You shall not minister the Lord’s name without the Lord’s presence ➔ Awe (fear of the Lord)\Merge.

Thou shalt remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ➔ You shall rest from your own work (efforts) ➔ You shall rest on and in the Divine Nature of Christ ➔ Peace\Rest.

Honor thy father and mother that thy days may be long ➔ Honor, trust and obey all spiritual authority which births and\or matures you in the Kingdom of God ➔ Faithfulness\Obey.

Thou shalt not kill ➔ You shall not be angry ➔ You shall not be impatient ➔ In your patience you will possess your soul ➔ Patience\Enjoy.

Thou shalt not commit adultery ➔ You shall not misuse your passion ➔ You shall righteously lust only after your covenant partners - your spouse and your God ➔ You shall allow the zeal of the Lord to consume you ➔ Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto man ➔ Passion(Zeal\Righteous Lust)\Excite.

Thou shalt not steal ➔ You shall render unto man what is man’s and unto God what is God’s ➔ Owe no man anything but to love him ➔ Tithe all things to God ➔ Make God your sole motivation in all your ways ➔ Tithing\Reconcile.

Thou shalt not lie ➔ You shall operate of the Spirit of truth in all your ways ➔ You shall be authentic, natural and earnest with God, man and yourself ➔ You shall allow the Word and Spirit to reveal and purify the thoughts and intents of your heart ➔ All things shall be revealed by and through Christ’s indwelling Divine Nature. ➔ Truth\Reveal.

10.

Thou shalt not covet ➔ You shall not be possessive ➔ You shall not be greedy ➔ You shall be generous ➔ You shall sow bountifully and reap bountifully ➔ You shall aggressively seek to bless others ➔ Generousity\Release.

11.

The Ten Commandments discussed above can really be distilled into ten words, ten verbs that all lead us into “putting on” the Divine Nature of Christ. Believe on the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Yield to the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Merge with the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Rest in the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Obey the Divine Nature of Christ indwells you. Enjoy the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Excite the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Reconcile all things to the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Reveal all things through the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Release all things out of the Divine Nature of Christ which indwells you. Use these ten words as a meditation to center your heart on and in the Divine Nature. Then, the peace of God will rule your heart as you crush Satan under your foot. (Col. 3:15; Rom. 16:20). Remember, everything in the law and the prophets describes and points to the Divine Nature of Jesus (Lk. 24:27). Everything in the New Testament reveals that this Divine Nature of Jesus has come to inhabit, infill, infuse and integrate our lives. It is time for us to seize this inheritance of our covenant identity “in Christ.”

The New Covenant Summarized.

Two thousand years ago God cut a new covenant with man. This covenant was first prophesied by Ezekiel and Jeremiah:

Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ez. 36:25-27.

But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Jer. 31:33-34.

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul. Jer. 32:38-41.

Why was this New Covenant needed? Because man was a fallen creature. The Old Covenant had failed to produce the Kingdom of God. The failure was not in the Old Covenant itself, but in the fallen heart of man. Man’s inner righteousness just could not satisfy the external righteousness of the Old Testament Law. God’s law was spiritual, but man’s heart was soulish and carnal. No man could fulfill the law spiritually - - not even Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Elisha or Isaiah. These men of God were all approved of God (Heb. 10:39), but they still fell short of the Kingdom of God because they operated out of their own righteousness. Even John the Baptist, who Jesus considered the greatest prophet of the Old Covenant law, did not and could not enter the Kingdom of God during his lifetime. The reason? The Old Testament saints, including John the Baptist, lived by their own righteousness and not the righteousness of God.

Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. Matt. 11:11.

For they [Israel] being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Rom. 10:3.

In their own human nature, they tried to fulfill the Old Testament law, but they all failed to perfectly match their inner motive to the external intent of the law. Thus they all lived under the curse of the law.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. Gal. 3:10.

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. Jas. 2:10.

The Apostle Paul taught us that the law was established to show us this very point - - that we can’t walk in union with God by our own righteousness and that we need a Savior to reconcile us to God.

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Rom. 10:1-11.

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. . . .Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator. Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one. Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal. 3:10-14, 19-29.

The Father’s plan was coming into focus. Man fell in the garden. Man’s spirit died to direct union and communion with God. Man languished in greater and greater sin. God sent the law to reveal the external manifestations of conduct which will stem from those who truly walk in the Kingdom of God. However, nobody, and I do mean nobody, was able to walk in complete heart-obedience to the law. Many were able to partially interact with God because of their sincere but limited faith, but nobody was able to enter the Kingdom of God. Nobody even knew what the Kingdom of God really was, except through prophetic flashes like those quoted above at the beginning of this section (Ezek. 36:25-27; Jer. 31:33-34; Jer. 32:38-41). The Old Testament repeatedly promised something better was coming - - a New Covenant with new and better promises.

But now hath he [Christ] obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away. Heb. 8:6-13.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus kept referring to “the promise of the Father” which would come to believers after He ascended to heaven. (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4). What was this “promise of the Father?” Peter explained the answer when the Holy Ghost fell on believers at Pentecost:

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. . . .Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Acts 2:1-4, 33.

At Pentecost, the promise of the Father came in the form of the Holy Ghost to establish the New Covenant in the hearts of believers. In the Old Testament, the Holy Ghost was the “ondwelling” presence of God. At Pentecost this changed. The Holy Ghost was now the “indwelling” presence of God. Jesus spoke of this change in the following verse,

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Jn. 14:16-17.

Many of the Old Testament saints certainly displayed faith on numerous occasions - - faith that pleased God, “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens . . . .And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” Heb. 11:33-34,39-40. In other words, the Old Testament saints did not receive the promise of the Father - - the Pentecost experience - - the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit - - what Jesus called being “baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:5). We do receive this better promise and better covenant when we experience both the New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Ezekiel prophesied that the New Covenant would provide us (1) forgiveness of sins; (2) a new heart; (3) a new spirit; and, finally (4) God’s Spirit (Ezek. 36:25-27). At the New Birth, we receive the first three of the above benefits. We first receive forgiveness through the Baptism of repentance (Eph. 1:7; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12). We also receive at the New Birth a circumcised heart which is able to feel and embrace the love of God (Rom. 2:29). Lastly, at the New Birth, we receive a new spirit which prepares us to see and receive the Kingdom of God. The New Birth occurs when we confess that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead (Rom. 10:8-10).

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. Jn. 3:3-7.

However, the New Birth is not the actual receiving of the Kingdom of God. The New Birth prepares, enables, and positions us to see and enter the Kingdom of God; it is not the actual “entering in.” The Baptism of the Holy Spirit marks the time when God’s Spirit is joined and merged with our spirit. The New Birth allows us to recognize, interact and receive a level of revelation from the Holy Spirit, but Spirit Baptism allows us to become “one” with God in our spirits. In the Old Testament, the Temple had to first be built and prepared for the Presence of God to inhabit. (1 Ki. 8:1-11). We are no different. We are the New Testament Temple of God, both individually and corporately (1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16). We must be reborn, rebuilt and prepared for God to indwell us. This occurs at the New Birth. Soon thereafter we are ready for the Glory of God to enter and fill our temple - - this is the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is when we truly become “one” with God in our spirits.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6:17.

The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: Rom. 8:16.

And the glory which thou gavest me I [Jesus] have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I [Jesus] in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Jn. 17:22-23.

I don’t believe God ever intended for the New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit to be divided into two separate doctrines. Rather, God intends them to be two different parts of one organic and fluid covenant event. Just as in the physical world conception, gestation and delivery are all seen as one continuous birthing process despite occupying three different time periods, so should our New Birth and Spirit Baptism be seen as one continuous spiritual process which allows us to see and then enter the Kingdom of God in this life.

Before the New Birth and Spirit Baptism, man’s fallen heart is a door which can open only one way - - into the cursed soul realm of self-rule. But, after the New Birth and Spirit Baptism, man’s heart is now a double-hinged door. The heart now can either swing open into the blessed gut realm of the Spirit or into the cursed mind realm of the soul. Seen in this light, the heart is the gateway between Spirit and soul (Heb. 4:12). Our heart motive at any particular time dictates which way our heart is swinging - - into God-rule or into self-rule. The New Birth and Spirit Baptism “rewire” us by giving us both a double-hinged heart as well as a double-spirited gut (Christ’s Spirit merged with our spirit). From this point on, our heart focus will determine whether this “rewired” inner man is actually utilized or not. For this “rewiring” to work, both the New Birth and Spirit Baptism must be experienced. For it to continue to work, the heart must hinge its motivation into the Divine Nature day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute and second by second.

What then is the Kingdom of God? It is our receiving of Christ’s indwelling Divine Nature. It is the merger and union of our spirit with Christ’s Spirit to form a new joint identity. It is the power and authority of God imparted to man which provides us all things for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3-4). The Baptism of the Holy Spirit, also called receiving the Holy Spirit, is simply this - - it is receiving the Divine Nature of Christ to indwell and infill the believer (Acts 1:5; 2:33; 8:17; 10:47; 19:2). Thus, the Kingdom of God = the New Birth plus Spirit Baptism = man’s spirit becoming one with Christ’s Spirit = the Divine Nature of Christ indwelling and infilling the believer’s spirit, soul and body. Out of this union manifest sons of God will appear and do the works of God - - heal the sick, raise the dead, save the lost, feed the poor and bless the widows and orphans (Matt. 10:8,34-46; Lk. 10:9; 11:20; Jn. 1:12; Rom. 8:19; Jas. 1:27).

But, Jesus said this Kingdom is to be within us, through and by His Divine Nature (Lk. 17:20-21). The Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Divine Nature which is the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14:17). Scriptures will open up to you in new and wonderful ways when you begin to substitute “the Divine Nature which indwells me” for the New Testament references to “the Holy Ghost” and “the Kingdom of God\Heaven.” As this revelation sinks deeper into you, it will start to grow greater and greater out of you.

Equating the Kingdom of God with man’s receiving of the indwelling Divine Nature allows us to better understand Jesus’ seed parables.

And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. Mk. 4:30-32.

Jesus was describing above how the Divine Nature would start off smaller than everything else in our life but end up bigger than everything else.

And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. Mk. 4:26-29.

Here, Jesus tells us that the Divine Nature will be planted into our hearts and then will grow day and night until the fruit of Jesus’ being is fully harvested in our lives. Thus, in tandem, these two seed parables instruct us that the indwelling Divine Nature of Christ grows continuously and humongously until it literally takes over all areas of our life. The only thing we do to carefully cultivate the Divine Nature is to aggressively yield to its growth requirements as revealed by the Spirit and the Word.

Jesus explained through another seed parable the things that inhibit or prevent the growth of the Divine Nature within us (Mk. 4:1-23; Lk. 8:1-18). These are all heart-related and explain the reasons why some people reject, lose or obstruct the Divine Nature and why some people allow the Divine Nature to provide a thirty, sixty, hundredfold harvest in their lives. Jesus said that this parable was the most important of all the parables (Mk. 4:13). In a way, it explains nearly everything about the operation of the Kingdom of God (i.e. the indwelling Divine Nature received at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit). How the Divine Nature grows within you depends entirely on your heart soil - - whether it is hard, rocky, thorny or good. The parable tells us the seed is the word (Logos) of God (Lk. 8:11) - - in other words, the Divine Nature of God revealed in Jesus through the Holy Ghost. This seed of the Divine Nature is to be sown into the heart of man (Lk. 8:12,15).

The first type of heart soil is a hardened heart which never receives the Logos seed. This heart has so joined itself to the ways of Satan that it has become soil beaten and packed down with unbelief. This is the wayside soil that prevents the seed of the Divine Nature from entering into it. It doesn’t want or care about God - - period. A heart that “won’t” receive God eventually becomes a heart that “can’t” receive God.

The next type of heart soil is the stony soil. This heart receives the Logos seed with joy and in the beginning the seed of the Divine Nature springs up. But when affliction, persecution and temptation come to attack the Divine Nature, the heart withers towards God and the Divine Nature is scorched and rejected. This soil has no root in itself because of the hardness in the deeper places of the heart. It lacks the moisture needed to soak through these obstructions and wash them away. Because the Divine Nature isn’t given access to spread its roots deep into this heart, then pressure from the enemy can uproot the Logos. This heart simply won’t center itself in the Divine Nature and won’t be fluid with the Divine Nature. This soil just can’t take the heat a true walk with the Lord requires.

The third type of soil is the thorny soil. Whereas the stony soil presents a root problem, the thorny soil presents a fruit problem. Whereas the Divine Nature is scorched away in the stony soil, the Divine Nature is held at bay in the thorny soil.

And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. Lk. 8:14.

The thorny heart has received the Logos seed into the center of its heart. The Divine Nature is here to stay, but it is not necessarily here to grow. Christians with this heart soil are sincere in receiving the Lord, but they do not cultivate the Divine Nature by allowing it to expand over the periphery of the heart. Around the edge of every human heart is a hedge of thorns - - the cares of the world. These are the things in the world we lust after - - comfort, control, acceptance, money, sex, drugs, alcohol, sports, prestige, friends and possessions. This soil may indeed love the Lord, but it also loves the things in the world. This divides the heart and keeps the Divine Nature from bearing fruit to perfection.

Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 Jn. 2:15.

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Rom. 12:2.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Col. 3:2.

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. Jn. 12:25.

If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Lk. 14:26.

Finally, the good soil is the heart that receives, centers, and cultivates the Divine Nature to perfection. This is fertile soil that joyfully receives the Divine Nature into a good and honest heart (Lk. 8:15). The Logos seed is allowed to expand its roots into the deep places of the heart so that the Divine Nature is engrafted into the center of this person’s life. The Divine Nature will not be scorched away by persecution or attack. Once the downward growth of the root system is established, then this heart promotes and cultivates upward and outward growth. As the Divine Nature expands upward, outward, and onward, then all the thorny cares of the world are rooted up and out of this heart and displaced with Jesus’ passion which indwells us. Like the mustard seed which starts off smaller than all other seeds, the Logos seed grows and grows until it engulfs the whole garden of our heart.

Let’s review. The wayside soil is too hard throughout to receive the Logos seed at all. The stony soil presents a root problem in that it does not allow the Divine Nature to expand downward into the core of the heart. The thorny soil presents a fruit problem in that it does not allow the Divine Nature to expand upward, outward and onward until it displaces all the other cares of the world. The good soil is the good and honest heart that doesn’t just receive the Logos seed (like the stony soil); and doesn’t just allow the Logos seed to expand its roots downward to the core of the heart (like the thorny soil); this soil also cultivates outward growth and expansion until the Logos seed dominates the root and fruit system of the entire heart land.

As you read this, if you have experienced the New Birth, but have not yet been Spirit Baptized, don’t take offense at this teaching. I am not saying you are not “saved” or “going to heaven,” for I believe that your born-again spirit certainly is “saved” and “going to heaven.” Nor am I saying that you haven’t heard God’s voice or felt His love on numerous occasions. Nor am I saying that you are some sort of second class Christian. All I am saying is that your inheritance is to become one with the Divine Nature of Christ by becoming “one Spirit” with Him. Do you know that you know that you know that this has occurred within you. I know many teach that this joining with Jesus’ Spirit occurs at the New Birth, but does Scripture support this? No. The disciples didn’t receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit when they received salvation in John 20:19-23. They later received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4. The Samaritans received the New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at two different times (Acts 8:5-17). So did Paul (Acts 9:1-6, 9, 17-18). So did the Ephesians (Acts 19:1-6). Jesus Himself didn’t receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit until He was thirty years old (Lk. 3:15-16, 21-23; 4:1,13-21). Yet, certainly Jesus was saved from the very moment the Holy Spirit conceived Him in Mary’s womb (Lk. 1:35).

The point in all of this is to establish that Scripture supports two different but connected works of the Holy Spirit. First, in the work of regeneration a believer receives forgiveness of sins, a circumcised heart and a born-again spirit. This prepares the believer for the next step - - the actual entry into the Kingdom of God (the Divine Nature) through the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. This is not unlike a marriage, where the couple enter into covenant at the time of the ceremony but doesn’t consummate the covenant until they become one flesh on their honeymoon night. For the Christian, we enter into the New Covenant at the time of the New Birth, but we consummate the covenant when we become one spirit with our husband God at the Baptism of the Holy Ghost - - our true honeymoon experience with and in the Lord. Just as human seed is planted into the female’s uterus through an act of physical intercourse, so is the Divine Nature of the Logos seed implanted into our hearts and reins through spiritual intercourse at the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Seen in this light, the gift of tongues becomes a token gift and sign that our spirit has entered into marital bliss and oneness with the Divine Nature. When the Jerusalem brethren who were Jewish heard that Peter had shared the Gospel wi th Gentiles, they become upset and challenged Peter (Acts 11). Peter’s defense was based on the indisputable fact that the Gentiles received the gift of tongues, as a sign that they had been Spirit Baptized.

And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, . . .Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? Acts 10:45-46; 11:16-17.

In other words, the Lord had imparted Christ’s Divine Nature into these Gentiles and sealed it with the sign gift of tongues so that all would know that the New Covenant marriage had been consummated. Tongues then are a sign, gift and wonder. As a covenant sign, tongues show that the Spirit of Christ has merged with the spirit of man. As a covenant gift, tongues is a private heavenly language which allows us to speak perfect prayer and praise to God while at the same time building up our faith (1 Cor. 14:2-3, 15, 17). Lastly, tongues are a wonder because it is a supernatural manifestation of a supernatural God who has come to supernaturally dwell in us and merge with us. Every time we pray in tongues, Jesus is praying in and through us. His Spirit is one with our spirit. It is our spirit which prays in tongues (1 Cor. 14:14). As our merged Spirit is praying in tongues, then Jesus is actually praying the mysteries coming out of our mouth. This is one way that Jesus “liveth to make intercession” (Heb. 7:25).

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. . . .Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself taketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. . . . .Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Rom. 8:9, 26, 34.

Thus, tongues is really a covenant manifestation of Jesus’ Divine Nature which dwells in us and intercedes through us. Hallelujah! Who would not want and crave this blessed gift? Like Peter, we must not “withstand God” on this issue.

The question remains as to how to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost. The answer is plainly given in the following passage:

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Lk. 11:5-13.

The only quality needed to receive the Baptism of the Holy Ghost is “importunity” (v.8). This word literally means in the original Greek “overboldness” or “shamelessness.” Like a virgin must release her inhibitions on her wedding night to receive the fullness of her husband’s love, so must the believer lose his spiritual inhibitions in order to fully receive the fullness of Jesus’ Divine Nature. I like to call this quality “wholehearted empty handedness.” We are desperate, bold and humble - - all at the same time. This is how we truly enter into the Kingdom of God - - the Baptism of the Holy Ghost - - the receiving the Divine Nature - - the intercourse of our spirit with the Spirit of Christ. Keep knocking with importunity and refuse to stop until this merger is complete. I want to close this section with a quote from C. S. Lewis that beautifully captures the idea of this merger with God:

“When Nature and Spirit are fully harmonized - when Spirit rides Nature so perfectly that the two together make rather a Centaur than a mounted knight . . . there will be no room to get the finest razor-blade of thought in between Spirit and Nature. Every state of affairs in the New Nature will be the perfect expression of a spiritual state and every spiritual state the perfect informing of, and bloom upon, a state of affairs; one with it as the perfume with a flower or the ‘spirit’ of great poetry with its form.” The Quotable Lewis, p. 284.

The Old Testament Law allowed the Spirit of God to ride us as an “ondwelling” jockey. However, the New Birth and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost transforms us into a covenant centaur merged with the “indwelling” Spirit of God to form one organic being.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 1 Cor. 6:17.

CONCLUSION

The Divine Nature which indwells us gives us the potential to know all things (1 Jn. 2:20,27) - - to do all things (Phil. 4:13) - - and to possess all things (1 Cor. 3:21). Recognize the term “Christ.” It literally means the “anointed one.” We are “Christians” - - “anointed ones.” To “anoint” means to rub in and smear over. With what are we “anointed” (rubbed with and smeared in)? One thing and one thing only - - the Divine Nature of Christ. All of the “in Christ” promises and realities of the New Testament speak only to those who have received and currently operate through the Divine Nature. Cultivate a life of aggressive “trusting in,” “yielding to” and “merging with” the Divine Nature. As you grow in this, your anointing in the Holy Ghost will grow. So will your intimacy with the Father. So will your spiritual resemblance to Jesus. The Blood Covenant of the New Testament is what brings this all about.

Our blood covenant is about two things - - obtaining forgiveness of sins and receiving the indwelling Spirit of Christ. Divine Forgiveness toward us and the Divine Nature in us. It doesn’t get any better than that. At Salvation, we receive forgiveness and a born-again spirit. At the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, we receive the Holy Spirit into our spirit as a merged creation. The rest of our walk is about embracing and expanding this merged identity in all our ways. In the process, all things in the world are being reconciled to God through this expansion of the Divine Nature both in and out of us. Thus, our blood covenant is a covenant of co-existence with the Divine Nature, co-habitation with the Divine Nature, co-operation with the Divine Nature and co-creation with the Divine Nature. May this teaching help propel your covenant walk straight into the covenant love of our Father through the covenant blood of His son Jesus by the covenant presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The New Covenant

The New Covenant

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