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The Ministry of The Holy Spirit - Part I

In the eighth chapter of Romans, we find Paul’s exposition of a life lived through the Holy Spirit. The apostle opens hard and fast with the following assertion: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1, 2). Paul begins his statement with the adverb therefore, which signifies a consequence. This was in light of his earlier statement where he indicated: “I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25). In other words, (1) we are dichotomous—we have two opposing natures, but (2) as a result of being conjointly raised up with Christ Jesus, there is now no condemnation. Our Lord not only provides for our salvation, but His work on the cross ushered the office of the Holy Spirit into our lives. All we need to do is open our hearts and receive Him. In this, we find evidence of our unification with God through the joining together with His Holy Spirit, wherein we are set free from the law of sin and death. This does not mean that as believers in Christ we can no longer sin, but it does signify that our sin debt has been paid in full and we are now unified with God. Jameison, Faussett, and Brown put it this way:

As Christ, who “knew no sin,” was, to all legal effects, “made sin for us,” so are we, who believe in Him, to all legal effects, “made the righteousness of God in Him;” (2 Corinthians 5:21) and thus, one with Him in the divine reckoning....But this is no mere legal arrangement: it is a union in life; believers, through the indwelling of Christ’s Spirit in them, having one life with Him, as truly as the head and the members of the same body have one life.

Paul moves forward with his line of reasoning declaring:

Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:5–8).

To live in accord with God is to conform to Him; it is us living in agreement with our Creator. All of this sounds good and well, only we fall short of agreement when we practice self-deceptive modes of thought and behavior that do not align with God’s will. Because we tend not to challenge the validity of our premises, we need the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Left to our own vices, we are hard pressed to arrive at the truth of matters (see Proverbs 14:12). We deny certain facts, avoid reality, and construct justifications as to why it is all right for us to remain in sin. But when the Holy Spirit comes and lives in us, He gives life and peace by pointing us toward the supreme reality, the ultimate meaning and value of our existence.

Go deeper by reading my book, The Conditioned Mind! Peace-out, brothers and sisters in Christ! 

God Never Doubts His Love For You!

Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - King - Part II

The kingdom of Christ will be a righteous one: “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.” (Psalm 45:6). The Hebrew term used here for scepter is shebet (shay’-bet), which means “to branch off.” However, shebet is also indicative of a scion, a descendent or heir. While shebet is literally understood to be a stick used for a myriad of things, such as fighting, punishing, walking, and writing, it could be asserted that the scepter of justice pertains more to the branch from which true justice will be derived, namely Christ Jesus. Isaiah wrote: “See, a king will reign in righteousness and rulers will rule with justice.” (Isaiah 32:1). The prophet was writing about Christ. The Hebrew word used here for righteousness is interesting. It is tsedeq (tseh’-dek), which means “right,” i.e., natural, moral, or legal. Abstractly, tsedeq means “equity”; figuratively, it relates to prosperity. The reign of Christ will feel natural to us. We will come to see that this is the way God always intended it to be. As our King, Christ demonstrates the Father’s moral character, which is forever good and virtuous. King Jesus rules with a just, impartial, and fair disposition. Through His rule, we will experience a life of prosperity—a life filled with an abundance of love, joy, and peace. Listen to the words of our Father, spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will raise up to David a righteous branch, a king who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” (Jeremiah 23:5).

We need not wait for the Second Advent; Jesus can rule as King in our life today. We can break with our fears and anxiety that stem from unresolved issues and present troubles, and follow His lead. Because Christ is just in His kingly duties, we can entrust ourselves to His leadership. If He calls us to break through our denials and accept truth, then we can trust He does so for good reason. We can trust in our King; no longer must we maintain our repressive ways and avoid reality. Our attempts to rationalize dysfunctional behavior break down at the throne of Christ. In the end, we will come to see that He has come to set us free.

With this entry, we conclude this series on four splendid typologies of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. To go even deeper, I invite you to purchase a copy of my book, The Conditioned Mind. May you be filled with the power, love, and sound-mind afforded us through the Spirit of God!

Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - King - Part I

Much can be learned about a king by studying his kingdom. In this regard, the Scripture reveals that the kingdom of Christ is not of this world. In the eighteenth chapter of John, we find Pilate questioning Jesus on some key points:

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:33–37). 

In this passage, the Greek word used for kingdom is basileia (bas-il-i’- ah), which means “royalty”; abstractly, it relates to rule, but more specifically it pertains to a realm. When Jesus said that His kingdom is not of this world, He meant it in every sense. Jesus’ human lineage may have been from a royal line (see See Isaiah 9:7 and Luke 1:32, 33), but His authority to rule is not of this world; it is from a source infinitely more powerful than any human government could establish. While Satan is permitted to rule here for the time being, Christ will one day return and take up His rightful place on earth, and the devil will be dethroned (See Ephesians 2:2 regarding Satan’s level of rule, and Revelation 12:9 for the devil’s dethroning).

Today, we can find peace in the fact that God is working out His plan, in His time. Regardless of what might come our way in this lifetime, our heavenly Father is in charge!

Learn more about Jesus as King in my new book, The Conditioned Mind.

Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - High Priest - Part III

Through the intercession of our High Priest, we are judicially represented in the highest court of all—before the throne of God Almighty. Standing at the throne, each of us is examined by the Father, every deed in our life exposed. In effect, we are asked the question: “What did you do with My Son Jesus?” In other words: “Did you believe enough to invite Him into your life?” Understand that our Creator does not ask this question in hopes of punishing us; rather, He does so more along the lines of: “Please, tell Me that you believe in My Son. Tell Me that your mind and heart are open to Him, because if this is so, then I can call upon Him this very moment to make things right in your case. I so desire for that to happen—I want the record to be set straight so that we can move forward with an eternal relationship!” What a wonderful concept—our High Priest standing before the throne of the God Most High, interceding on our behalf. In turn, God declares us to be forgiven of our sins and justified in the strictest sense of the Law, all because our High Priest was able to offer the perfect sacrifice—Himself. Thus, we see the workings of our Creator in ways beyond our comprehension. Yet, one day, we will actually stand before the throne of our heavenly Father, and we will know love like we never have before. We will comprehend completely the price that was paid for our sin. In that moment, we will fully experience the blessings of our Father’s grace and mercy. Viewing things from the eternal perspective, all of our struggles in life and all of the trials we endured will make sense, and we will finally be home!

To discover more about the love of God, pick-up a copy of my book, The Conditioned Mind. Blessings to you, and to those you love!

Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - High Priest - Part II

Through the sacrificial offering of our High Priest, we have been reconciled with our Creator and can now freely approach His throne (see Hebrews 2:17). Christ empathizes with our plight in life: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18). The Greek word used here for tempted is peirazo (pi-rad’- zo), which means “to test,” i.e., endeavor, scrutinize, entice, or discipline. To endeavor is to make a conscientious or concerted effort toward an end. Jesus endeavors in His priestly duties, interceding with the Father on our behalf, and teaching us the truth about God and His plan for humanity. Clearly, Jesus was scrutinized. His every move was critically examined by the religious leaders of His day. Christ was enticed by Satan, and He was brutally disciplined for false accusations leveled against Him. But the criticisms did not stop there. Jesus continues to this very day to be criticized; yet He remains unthwarted in His priestly duties. In this lifetime, we cannot escape our flesh, the side of our nature that is full of our own will. For this reason, we are in continual need of Jesus to make intercession with the Father. We need the atoning work of His priestly duties to cover our continuing violations of the Father’s will.

In all of this, our High Priest seeks to bless us. Consider the words of the apostle Peter: “When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.” (Acts 3:26). While Peter was addressing a Jewish audience, it can be seen that God not only sought to bless the Israelites, but all of humanity as well. (see Romans 3:29, 30). The word used here for bless is eulogeo (yoo-log-eh’-o), which means “to speak well of.” Indeed, our High Priest does speak well of us to the Father, and His words are a literal blessing upon us. Coffman put it this way: “The great blessing Jesus came to deliver was not a re-establishment of the old Solomonic empire, but a spiritual blessing marked by the forgiveness of sins, the reception of God’s Spirit, and a turning of the people away from their wickedness.” (Coffman, J. Commentary of the New Testament).

To delve deeper into this topic, pick-up a copy of my book, The Conditioned Mind.

Four Splendid Typologies of Christ - High Priest - Part I

In the fourteenth chapter of Genesis, we find Abram encountering Melchizedek, the king of Salem and priest of God Most High:

Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything. (Genesis 14:18–20).

In this passage, we find a typological precedent being set for Christ, namely, that He is both King and High Priest. To better understand the significance of this typology, we’ll need to look at the seventh chapter of Hebrews. Here we find that Christ, as our High Priest, is superior to all who preceded Him: "If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?" (Hebrews 7:11). The answer to this question is that perfection could not be attained through the Levitical priesthood, because it was made up of men who suffered from a sin condition themselves. While their duties in serving God and His people were not insignificant, they could not propitiate for their own sins, let alone the sins of God's people.

The system of sacrifice God had put in place was a means by which the Hebrews could come to understand their complete and total need for Him. They offered animal sacrifices as an expression of their understanding that they were born of a sinful nature and needed God's redemption. They needed God to deal with what they themselves could not. The system of sacrifice brought home the reality that sin is costly. An individual's time and resources were required to raise a suitable sacrifice to offer for one's own sin. Bringing the living sacrifice to the tabernacle, participating in the actual act of sacrifice, and witnessing the immense bloodshed of the sacrifices would have been a sobering experience, a significant reminder of the price to be paid for sin.

The opportunity to experience humility as a result of sacrifice is a key factor in our walk with Christ. It affords a sense of humility with respect to our place within the Father's creation. Such a sense allows for the opportunity to drop our pride and submit to the ways of God. Through submission, we come to more clearly understand the significance of God's grace and mercy. We are then able to experience greater degrees of our Father's love, joy, and peace. When we experience His love on deeper levels, pathologies—the manifestations of disease—are diminished. As we rest more upon God and submit to His will, we sin less and become reflections of His love to a world in desperate need of such light.

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