Who’s in Control -- God or "Adam"?

Part I January/February 2000

Almost without exception, at this time of a new year, most of us are busy thinking about what sort of "new year’s resolutions" we are going to make. We have thoughts like, what will I feel like if I don’t accomplish what I set out to do, or, what will my friends think about me if I fail. According to the Random House College Dictionary, resolution can be defined as: a resolve or determination; the act of resolving or determining, as upon an action or course of action, method, procedure,etc.; the mental state or quality of being resolved or resolute-firmness of purpose; the act or process of resolving or separating into constituent or elementary parts. As one can readily gather from looking at the various definitions, they are all rooted in the center of our humanness. This is the place where "Adam" abides and attempts to rule our lives instead of allowing God to do so. We have stated in several previous articles that it is necessary to allow Holy Spirit to kill "Adam" to the extent that he is no longer visible to the world. The only thing that the world is really looking for is a manifestation of Holy Spirit showing out of our lives so they can see all the characteristics of The Anointed One, Jesus (Ro 8:19). This brings us to the point where we must look at what we have been doing for almost two thousand years. The teaching has been the necessity for us to "crucify the flesh" and all its inherent wrongs, get back to the garden and become like Adam was. If you think about it, Adam couldn’t have been "perfect" or else he wouldn’t have partaken of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. No, at the time God said, let us make man in our image, after Our likeness..., He (Elohim) made man in the physical, not moral, image of Himself. Don’t think for a minute that God was caught off guard by Adam’s transgression. He knew from before the beginning what was going to happen. Jesus coming to redeem mankind was not "plan B", His actions had been established from before the time that Elohim said "light be" and Holy Spirit moved over the face of the waters. To find an Old Testament type of the believers life we only need to examine the life of Abraham.

When looking at the life of Abraham, it is impossible to find anything that would cause God to look favorably on him. He was a heathen man living the life of an idolater, worshipping the moon. Noah was chosen because he was perfect in his generations. Abraham represents a people who have been chosen by God for no other reason than God was pleased to reveal His will and purpose to us because His nature is love and we are His children. For this reason we can all find our identity in this man, who was totally dependent upon the grace of God. Jesus told us in John 15:16, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain." Peter tells us in 1Pe 1:13, "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind and be sober, and hope perfectly for the grace that is to be brought unto you, at the revealing of Jesus Christ in you. 2Pe 1:11,12 "For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know them, and be established in the present truth."

It is imperative for all of us to become established in the present truth. We must move into the "so great a salvation" that brings transformation to us now, having passed from death to life. We must put aside the man-made doctrines and all the traditions that have prevented us entering into the Kingdom of God. Recognize that the call to Abraham was different than those before him, and that it remains as a pattern for us today. The only thing Abraham was called to do was to turn his back on the only world he knew. He was not asked to try and correct what he considered wrong, but simply to walk away from it. Is the call that God issues to each of us any different today than in Abraham’s time? Are the requirements any different? No! We are not called to correct the wrongs in society or the religious systems on the earth today. Involvement in such things will only restrict out progress toward the city of God. We must become single minded in our quest to possess the "land" which is our inheritance in Christ. We are not called to become religious nor to try and impress the world simply with our moral behavior. There is not one bit of difference between what God called Abraham to do and what He calls each of us to do—lay everything aside that would hinder us and look unto Jesus as the author and developer of our faith (Heb 12:1,2). Notice please that it takes time to develop something or someone. God is not in any hurry when it comes to changing our lives into images that express Him and all that He is. The change will take place and, for the most part, we can determine the rate of change. The truth is that everything God requires of us can only be achieved as we die to self. The self ("Adam"), that feels at home and a part of this world, will never desire to leave that which has become reality to it. He must increase and therefore I will decrease.

The first time that God called Abraham was while he was still living in Ur (Act 7:2). The fact that he left Ur and started toward Canaan shows that he had accepted, at least in part, the call to leave his old life behind. He was delayed in Haran until the death of his father who had gone with him (against God’s word). We often experience the same type of "sidetracking" along the way and have to be "called out" again. We trade our tent for a more permanent residence, somehow feeling convinced that we have left so much behind, that we must have achieved what God had in mind. Haran was named after Abraham’s brother who died in Babylon so the natural tie that linked him to Babylon was not yet completely broken until he departed and continued his journey.

In Gen 12, when Abraham left Haran, he took Lot, his nephew, with him. It is interesting to note that the name Lot means a covering or veil. Therefore, as long as Lot was present, Abraham was unable to see or hear fully what God wanted him to see and hear. You’ll notice in verse 7, at Shechem, which relates to obedience, God promised to give the land and Abraham built an altar to Jehovah. In Gen 13:14, after Lot had left, God told Abraham to lift up his eyes and look north, south, east and west, and all the land you see I will give to you and your posterity forever. [A note of interest—the present land of Israel is 87.5% smaller than when God it promised to Abraham.] The parallel to see here is, Lot was apparently instrumental in Abraham’s inability to hear from God concerning the direction he was to go. Ask yourself, what are the "Lot’s" in your life that are still hanging around? In our modern humanistic society, they can be numerous but I personally think that one of the strongest is religious tradition. So many folk say they want to follow God and yet they really only follow what they’ve learned over the years through the "church" system. NAS Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. These are very strong words, but at this point in time, I feel they are very necessary to be heeded. After all, Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of Holy Spirit penned them to the Colossians. They were good then and they are still valid today. As I’ve said several times in various newsletters, study for yourself the things you are being taught in "church". NAS 2Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth. It is obvious from scripture that Father will hold us individually accountable for how we handle the word of truth. We won’t be able to blame anyone else for our lack of knowledge of the Word of God. We must come to the place where we understand that to obey is better than sacrifice. It is through obedience that we gain knowledge. Jesus said in NAS John 7:17 If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from Myself. Therefore, in order to know the truth we must be obedient and do what the truth implies. Man says Do! Do! Do! and God says, "be still and know that I am God."

In the course of our journey, we must never forget that the Canaanite was then in the land, and he is not a help, but a hindrance to our progress. They are the ones that have settled in the land claiming it for themselves, even though God has given it to us. They are just one of the nations that dwell in "our world," and it is our responsibility to drive them out. So we must learn to deal with the Canaanite even as we journey. It is interesting that it was at this point that the Lord appeared to Abraham. While there are so many Christians waiting for the "second coming" of Christ at the end of this age, He is appearing in revelation within a people even as they journey. Here is the light that illumines our way, bringing knowledge and understanding to us as we continue our journey, and destroying our enemies.

Do you at times grow weary of life’s journey? The Lord does not say I will appear to you when you reach the end of the road! No, he appears along the road, manifesting "himself" within us as the strength and wisdom we need to reach our goal. The prophet Isaiah said it clearly in NAS Isa 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them;. How comforting to know that The Anointed One shares in our life’s experiences. Read Luke 24:13-35 concerning the disciples on the road to Emmaus and how The Anointed One appeared during their "time of crisis". Today beloved, he wants to reveal himself to you in the form that will meet your particular need, and bring with that revelation the guarantee of victory.

In Genesis 14 we read about Lot’s deliverance by Abraham after the war of the kings. In verses 18-20 we read about Melchizedek greeting Abraham and bringing forth bread and wine as the priest of the Most High God. He said, verse 19, Blessed be Abraham (Abram) of God Most High, possessor of heaven and earth. This meeting with Melchizedek was not just by chance. It marked a distinct point in Abraham’s journey and so must find expression in our lives also. Melchizedek was God’s representative in a heathen country, being a priest of the Most High God.

The fact that Melchizedek connected Abraham with El Elyon, The Most High God, and not with Yahweh, who later became the law giver and the God of Israel, is significant. El Elyon the Most High God is possessor of both the spiritual realm and the realm of earth, and so has a special relationship with the people of the earth. Jesus was also a Son of the Most High God. El Elyon was responsible for setting up the throne of David, which was a type of the Throne of God.

A great truth is revealed by the psalmist in Psalm 82:6, I have said, Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High (El Elyon). We are identified as "gods" because that is our origin, and over all these "gods" there is a Most High God that is supreme above every other God. In John 10:34-36 Jesus’ defense was, I and my Father are one, which made him a Son of God, and that was the truth. In the progress of our journey, like Abraham, we must come to the same realization that our identity is also as sons of the same Most High God.

Abraham’s realization of his true identity manifested itself in the birth of Isaac, as the power of the Most High God overshadowed both he and his wife Sarah. The seed planted in Sarah’s womb had the power to produce not only Isaac but also Jesus the Son of God. We must also enter into the same realization the the same power dwells within us today, to bring forth the Christ in us. Melchizedek played an important part in this revelation as he brought forth both the bread and the wine for Abraham. This was not some traditional religious ceremony, but an impartation of the reality of the Christ, whose dwelling place is with men.

In John 6, Jesus reveals the truth represented by the manna that Israel collected each day for sustenance. However that "bread" or manna could not give them immortality, for they all died in the wilderness. Jesus then takes them into the realm of Spirit and says to them Except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you, verse 53. He had earlier stated that he was the true or living bread that came down from heaven. However, to the natural mind such thoughts as these made no sense at all. What could Jesus have meant when he said you must eat my flesh, and drink my blood or you will have no life in you? Here is an analogy. Whenever you eat food, it is processed by the body and literally becomes you. It is no longer whatever you have eaten but has been assimilated into your body. Jesus said, My flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. This means that if we partake of the substance of what Christ is, then it will produce that same reality in us. He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood, dwells in me and I in him. Jesus is saying that his "flesh" is not like natural food that has no power to create an eternal reality in us. To eat his flesh, which is the reality of what He is, will transmit to us that same incorruptible substance, thus allowing us to live forever. When Jesus says you will dwell in me and I will dwell in you, His meaning is, what He is, is what I am.

How powerful the lesson that Abraham received while he journeyed on looking for that "city" that has foundations and whose builder and maker is God. His whole thinking was lifted into a higher dimension. The king of Sodom offered Abraham all the goods taken in the conflict, only requesting the return of his people who had been captured. This was according to custom and accepted procedure in that day. However, after his contact with the Most High God, Abraham refused to touch anything of the spoils of war declaring his sufficiency was in God alone.

The journey of so many Christians today is very different. They do not even expect such revelations to be imparted to them along the way, because all their focus is on something which is "out there somewhere in the sweet bye and bye." Until then they feel justified in getting all they can in terms of material things. As a result, they have no "bread and wine" to give the weary pilgrim they may happen to come in contact with along life’s pathway.

I would suspect that many Christians today would not concern themselves with those who have fallen victim to some enslaving tyrant as Abraham did. In most cases we do not consider them worthy of our effort to release them. Our attitude so often is that they must accept responsibility for their own actions and resulting problems. They are captives because they don’t love the Lord enough or they aren’t spiritual. However, Abraham did not hesitate. When he heard that Lot was taken, he set out to release him, and in doing so opened the prison doors to a host of others as well. Recall, Abraham was just a little way into his journey when all these things occurred.

Compare when Jesus had just begun his ministry, he read in the synagogue from Isaiah 61, about releasing the captives and opening the prison doors to those who are bound. For him this was indeed the very core of his ministry as he understood it. Isn’t it strange that today so many Christians seek for the filling of Holy Spirit for power so they can perform miracles in order to "build their ministry," rather than for enablement to be witnesses and allow Holy Spirit free reign to meet peoples needs.

Jesus was obviously not concerned with "building his ministry." He linked the anointing to an empowerment to heal the brokenhearted, deliver the captives, giving sight to the (spiritually) blind and to set at liberty those that are bruised. He declared this to be the purpose for which the anointing is given, thus this prophecy found fulfillment in his ministry. Because we are the church of the first-born, the double portion has been given to us just for such a purpose. Abraham realized that his release from the bondage of idolatry was not just for his own personal benefit, but in order that he might free others also. This is the lesson we must all learn in our own walk with the Lord. No deep teaching is required for us to be concerned for those who have not yet been set free. All that is necessary is that we have first experienced a release in our own lives, which is a token of God’s love and grace. That same love is all the motivation we need to see others set free also. We are blessed of God in order to be a blessing to others.

(To be continued)

My thanks to Brother Des Walter for allowing me to copy portions of his work. I would recommend you write to receive his monthly publications. Contact: Words and Wisdom, Box 2, Aurora, Ohio 44202.

Frank

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Thoughts from Barbara

Loved Ones,

Grace and peace from God our father and Lord Jesus Christ

Resolving to do something is deciding to do something in our lives that we think will make us feel better! Feels good? Yes! Foolish? Yes! Wise? Usually No! We always choose something so obvious to others that we get the glory if we achieve it and the devil gets the glory if we fail! Where is God in all this?

The only resolution we need to make as a Christian, is to allow Holy Spirit to discipline us in our spirit so that our flesh will come under submission to Him.

Allowing God to do the work from inside is easier than us doing it from the outside. If it’s not on the inside (our God-man), our flesh isn’t going to be able to perform very long. Rom 7:18.

In the flesh we do grow tired of doing well. We all have experienced starting out strong and when the arm of the flesh gets tired we decide maybe it wasn’t for us after all! When we let God finish His work in us, in His time, as He promised, we succeed! Gal 6:9, Phil 2:13, Phil 1:6. He is the author (forerunner) of our faith and He lives in us. Let Him live out His life through us and we will succeed in looking better and doing better this year and forever.

So if you have already resolved to do something and feel yourself growing weary, just forget it! Go to God, repent and resolve to submit to the working of Holy Spirit. He gets the glory and you see the victory!!

Barbara

Eph 1:16-18