God or Adam
Who’s in control - God or "Adam"?
Part II March/April 2000
In our last Life Notes, we came to the point of Abraham finally separating himself, not only from Lot, but also from the things in his life that not only controlled him, but also hindered his obedience to God. That left him in a position to really hear and see what God was trying to get across to him. Before any of us get too judgmental concerning what "took Abraham so long" to do what God had instructed, we would all do well to perform a self-examination and ask ourselves the same question(s) that we would ask of Abraham. If we were really truthful, we would, in all probability, have to admit to not moving with God the first time we heard His voice. For whatever reasons, all self-righteously justified, we only went "part-way" in the direction that God had determined for us to go. Why? What was the real reason we didn’t fully obey the command of God? Could it have possibly been caused by our listening to "Adam" and attempting to rationalize what God had said? One thing is certain, God is looking for people who are obedient to His call and command. Considering the steady bombardment of Humanism we are exposed to, obeying God is not the easiest thing to do. Of course, neither is paddling your canoe against the current. If I could be allowed to make the comparison, the walk of a "believer" is a walk against the "tide of Humanism" that is so prevalent. Sadly, the spirit of Humanism has, to a large measure, invaded the "churches" today. It is hard to find a place where holiness, commitment, personal integrity, honesty and character is practiced and preached from the pulpit. But all these things aside, what did Abraham have going for him? Nothing! There is hope for all of us, considering God’s character.
Upon meeting Melchezidek, Abraham was connected to The Most High God, El Elyon. Abraham was later told that his seed would be as the stars in heaven, even though he was without an heir and Sarah was beyond childbearing age. His faith proved sufficient to believe God in spite of the overwhelming circumstances against him at that time. Isaac was born by the power of the Most High God who had been revealed to him. However, in God’s mind, Isaac was not the seed He referred to. The Apostle Paul explained it clearly in Gal 3:16 (NAS)—Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ. Clearly, there is no other seed but Christ.
Many Christians believe that Israel is the seed. Not so! We see in Mat 1:1 that Jesus (Yahshua) Christ is declared to be the son of Abraham, genealogically, but in spiritual reality he is the son of the Most High God. Both aspects of his origin were birthed through Abraham the father of the faithful, through El Elyon. Once this is understood, we’ll have no trouble identifying the rest of the seed, which God said would be "as the stars of heaven."
Gal 3:29 (NAS) states—And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. We are the many membered Christ who has been established as Abraham’s seed. In the "rapture" teaching, the saints will fly away and leave the whole of God’s program to Israel. This is a people who have rejected Christ for 2000 years. Such an idea is difficult to conceive. However, the "Christ seed" is not a natural seed as Paul makes clear, it is a spiritual seed for God is spirit. This is why God told Abraham that his seed would be as the stars of heaven. Israel, the natural earthly seed is, as the sand of the seashore, Gen 22:17.
Seeing that we are in the lineage of Abraham, we are the inheritors of all the promises given to him. However, the "church" has not replaced Israel as God’s chosen people. It would have been impossible to become a joint-heir with Yahshua without the Jews. Yahshua was, and is, a Jew. As Abraham was chosen to head God’s recovery movement on earth in his day, so we are a chosen generation to perform God’s recovery program in this, our day. Therefore the blessing of God is to flow through us to all the nations of the earth. We are God’s program for this time, to provoke the Jews to jealousy, and there is no other program (Rom 11:11).
What is a Jew
Have you ever asked the question, "What is a Jew?" The Apostle Paul states in Rom 2:28,29 (NAS) For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. 29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God. Also in Rom 9:6,7 (NAS) But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: "THROUGH ISAAC YOUR DESCENDANTS WILL BE NAMED." It is apparent that the apostle is attempting to tell us something very important that we need to understand. The explanation is set forth in verse 8 (KJV) That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. Paul makes the distinction very clear between the natural generation from Abraham, called Israel, and the children of the promise or the children of God. The failure to recognize this distinction has given rise to numerous erroneous teachings; such as, natural Israel will be the instrument in the hand of God to evangelize the world in the end of this age. Jesus plainly told the Pharisees in Matt 21:43 (NAS) the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it. His statement was based on the fact that the ‘builders’ of the Old Covenant (Israel) rejected the "stone" that God had planned to be the capstone of the whole building. That stone was Yahshua, the Christ.
Apostle Peter continues with the same thought by saying "You are a chosen generation." He was not speaking to natural Israel when he said these words, but to the elect of God the Father, through sanctification of the spirit and circumcision of the heart. As he continues "You are a {the} royal priesthood...you are a {the} holy nation...a peculiar people {have a purpose}" If you can receive what Peter is saying to us today, he is reminding us of the calling that has been put upon our lives. It is not people in the Middle East calling themselves God’s people who are taking the gospel of the kingdom to the nations of the earth. It is a people who are born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Beloved, we are that people.
Israel followed an external law that had no spiritual value to them. Paul states in Phil 3:3 (NAS) for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, therefore it becomes to us a completely spiritual experience of circumcision performed without hands. In Gal 6:15,16 Paul states For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. And as many as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. Beloved believer, this is what we are.
Paul continues in Eph 2:11,12 (NAS) Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. This is a clear picture of those who were born according to the flesh. The word "gentile" comes from the Greek word ‘ethnos’ meaning a race, nation, people of the same nature and race of people. We need to have a clear sense of our identity to be able to lay claim to that which is rightfully ours. Dispensational teachings have told us that many things were for another time, or for somebody else, therefore, we have been robbed of what is rightfully ours in Christ.
What is our Inheritance
Many "Christians" consider their inheritance is a place called "heaven," which has gates of pearls and streets of gold. Reading in Gal 3:29 the Apostle Paul states, we are heirs according to the promises given to Abraham. The Apostle Peter says in 1Pet 1:18, 19 (KJV) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. We must clearly see that the promises made to Abraham and to his seed, which is Christ, also includes those who are "in Christ." As God spoke to Abraham, He was also speaking to us today; to Christ and all his "brothers."
When we look at the promises God made to Abraham and their application to us, we will see that Yahshua has been appointed heir of all things and we are joint heirs with him.
1. God said, "I will make you a great nation!" Peter wrote, "You are a holy nation" 1Pe 2:9:9.
2. God said, "I will bless you!" Paul writes, "You have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ."
3. He (and all his seed) was made heir of the world, not through the law, but through the gospel of grace. Jesus said, "The meek shall inherit the earth." John in Revelation says, "He has made us Kings and Priests unto our God and we reign on the earth now."
We read where the psalmist says concerning God—He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations. Which covenant he made with Abraham, and his oath unto Isaac; And confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant: Ps 105:8-10. Jacob (the earthly man) received it as a law, but Israel (the spiritual people) received it as an everlasting covenant. The Apostle Paul obviously understood these things for he says in Eph 2:7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. Please notice Paul speaks of "ages to come" in the plural. This age is apparently drawing to a close and another one is taking its place. Is this the "Sabbath Day" of God that is to be 1000 years long and then there are other ages to come after it? We might do well to not get caught up in the notion that the end of the world is just around the corner. It just may be centuries away.
Interestingly, all the patriarchs, even though they had faith, died without receiving the promises Heb 11:13. However, there is today a new creation people, another nation, being raised up who will possess the covenant promises that God made with Abraham. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them Eph 2:10. Scripture further declares: For all things belong to you, things present or things to come; all things belong to you, and you belong to Christ; and Christ belongs to God. 1Co 3:21-23
Several aspects of our inheritance need to be noted. First, we have been made acceptable to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light Col 1:12. This "light" is speaking of the spiritual understanding and enlightenment, without which, we will never know what is ours in The Anointed. These things will be hidden from those walking in the darkness of their own ignorance. Next, our inheritance is not earthly, but heavenly. For Elohim has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Messiah Ep 1:3. Since they are not earthly, they are not subject to decay or corruption and they can not be stolen or destroyed. Our inheritance is divinely preserved, incorruptible and undefiled. So it is also prepared to be revealed in this time. God is not just providing "things" for us as an inheritance, but for us to become a partaker of the divine nature 1Pe 1:4. Absolutely nothing could be greater than to receive the very nature of God. Therefore, it is not sufficient for us just to know that the promises have been made, we must also personally embrace them as our reality. The promise of Holy Spirit is one of those, bringing the realization that God has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son. We can know this and even believe it as true, but never possess the reality, and so continue to walk in the darkness of our ignorance. Like Abraham, to inherit the promises, we must be separated unto God. God used the separating principle when he separated the light from the darkness. Separation is a principle that God uses in all of our lives. We read in scripture—know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: Ps 4:3
In the life of Abraham, we see clearly the importance of separation. First, he had to leave his country. This was not an easy thing to do. Next, he had to separate from Lot. Lot’s name means "a veil or a covering" and this was the reason he was walking by sight and not by faith. He was spiritually blind. He chose the well-watered plains to settle in, actually going back in the direction from which he came. He made his home in Sodom, with his daughters, even though he knew of its wickedness. Lot represents the man who will go along with someone who is walking with God, but his heart remains where he came from, and sooner or later he will follow his heart and not God. From the time of separation from Lot, Abraham was released to pursue the goal that had been birthed in his heart by God. What will it take for us to pursue the dream or goal that God has given to each of us? Is there a "Lot" that we need to separate ourselves from? Until we are totally separated from the draw of worldly things and surrendered to Yahweh, we will find ourselves being drawn back to the places and things we thought we had left behind. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Ps 37:5
We will continue this theme in the next Life Notes.
Frank
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Thoughts from Barbara
Brothers and Sisters,
Do we ever need each other in these days of the Lord! He is so wonderful to give us ones to love us and care for us. As I wrote this, I am so grateful for all of you out there that support us prayerfully and the ministry financially. He has given us special bonding with you at a distance as well as many here locally. My heart is full of love for all of you this morning.
When we leave all the things in our past to serve Him, He is ever so faithful to keep and protect us! Oh, if only everyone could know the security of leaving house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or land for My sake and the gospel Mk 10:29.
We must forget all of our "means" and understandings and rely on His wisdom to guide us. Mark 10:15—Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it. What is a little child like? Trusting completely in their parents for food, clothing and all that pertains to their lives.
My prayer for all of us comes from Matt 6:19-34, that we would see and acknowledge where our treasures are and learn not to be anxious for anything! That we would seek first the kingdom of God and live in His kingdom instead of the kingdoms of this world.
Shalom,
Barbara
Ps 68:1—Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let them also that hate him flee before him.
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