Peace Of The Rock

 

 

 

Chapter 1: Who or What is God/Man?

John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Before we can begin to understand God's Word or His language, we need to know who or what He is. From the above scripture, we see that God is a Spirit. Since you cannot compare apples to oranges, you cannot 'compare' God's spirit to man's carnality. Romans 8:7 says the carnal mind is enmity or hostile against God. Either God will have to change or we will; and, I can assure you, it will not be God.

We have misunderstood for generations what God has been revealing to us in His Word concerning His plan and purpose for man. Why have we misunderstood? Because, we have tried to bring God to our level instead of going to His level or communicating with Him spirit to spirit. We must be in spirit to be in truth. I will cover this more extensively in another chapter.

1 Tim. 1:17 Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

We see from the above scripture that God is eternal, immortal and invisible. According to Strong's, 'eternal' means: an age, perpetuity, a Messianic period. 'Immortal' means: undecaying, not corruptible. 'Invisible' means: to stare at, i.e. to discern clearly (physical or mental); to attend to; to experience; to appear. 'God' means: a deity, the supreme Divinity; figurative a magistrate.

There is NOW an incorruptible, perpetual Messianic age to be experienced and to appear through the magistrate. Other gods were worshipped by the people, but the true God was the only wise eternal, immortal and invisible deity or magistrate. We cannot see God; but, we can see the effects of Him.

We now know that God is an eternal, immortal, invisible spirit. What is man? Job and David, both asked this question.

Eccles. 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Our body is made of water, minerals and 'dirt.' The true 'us' is not 'body.' Our body is only a garment of skins to cover our spirit, as you would wear a coat for protection against the elements. We are spirit clothed with a body. What we truly are came from God, therefore, it will return to God. In the above scripture, it did not say any particular spirit would return to God, just the spirit.

1 Cor. 15:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

Psalm 139:13 For thou hast possessed my reins; thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

'Possessed' means: to erect, i.e. create. 'Reins' means: a kidney; figurative the mind (as the interior self). 'Covered' means: to entwine as a screen; to fence in, cover over, protect.

Our spirit, created and possessed by Him, is covered over in the womb. When we go through water baptism, we are sowing or burying the carnal man and being raised a new spiritual creation.

Heb. 12:6-9 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

'Chasteneth' means: to train up, educate, discipline. 'Scourgeth' means: to flog. God disciplines, educates and trains up his children.

v. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

'Endure' means: to stay under, i.e. remain; figurative to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere. A true father will chasten his son. If you will remain in and have the fortitude to persevere the trials or chastening, you will be a son.

v. 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Do you want to be considered a son or a bastard? You must realize that you are really spirit to claim that you are a son of the Spirit. God only corrects His sons. If you are not spirit, then you are not of Him. You are a bastard child.

v. 9 Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

We will subject ourselves to correction with reverence from our natural fathers and will obey them, usually. Our natural fathers do not have the power to allow us to live. If we are truly spirit, the only one that has the power to give us life here and now is our only father, God.

Heb. 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

God chastens us not because it pleases Him, but, for our profit or gain. Why? For us to be partakers of His holiness.

Now that we have realized that we and God are spirit, we should also realize that we must read and understand God's word by the spirit. We cannot continue to read and interpret it with a carnal mind or by the traditions of men. Carnal understanding cannot begin to grasp what God wants to show us. Adam saw it. Enoch and Elijah experienced a portion of it. Even Moses got a glimpse of it. The apostles saw it. John wrote it down and was told to seal it for the right time. We need to stop looking for some day to come and know that day is here. The time is now. I don't want to just see what those before me saw; I want to experience it in its fullness. What did they see? I hope to show you in the chapters to come.

1. What does John 4:24 say God is?

2. How must YOU worship God?

3. Why have we misunderstood God?

4. 1 Tim. says God is what?

5. What does 'eternal' mean?

6. What does 'immortal' mean?

7. What does 'invisible' mean?

8. What does 'God' mean?

9. What does 'magistrate' mean?

10. Name some of the effects we see of God.

11. Of what are our bodies made?

12. What will return to God?

13. Did it specifically say any particular spirit?

14. Who gave the spirit?

15. What are the two bodies?

16. What does Chasteneth mean?

17. Who does God chasten?

20. Who does God not chasten?

21. Which are you?

22. What does 'endure' mean?

23. Do you endure the chastening or do you run?

24. List some of the chastening that is going on in your life.

25. What must you be to claim you are a son of the Spirit?

26. To whom must we be in subjection to live?

27. Who benefits from the chastening?

28. What will we profit?

29. How must God's word be read and understood?

30. How must we stop reading and interpreting it?

31. What is enmity with God?

32. What is God?

33. What is man?