RIGHT THINKING - 1

WBS.288

RIGHT THINKING - 1

Romans 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of IAUE, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto IAUE, which is your reasonable service.

2 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 IAUE.

A dear friend of mine many years ago told me that when you see “therefore” in the Scriptures, you have to go see what it is “there for.”  Romans 12 begins with, “I beseech you therefore.”  This means that what Paul was about to say was predicated on what he had just said.  Romans 11 explains the mystery of the gospel…IAUE’s brilliant plan of reuniting both the lost house of Israel and the House of Judah into one body acceptable and in covenant with Him; and that we who have been grafted in to the new covenant (which includes the Gentiles and the lost ten tribes of Israel) should be living in such a way that the mercy of IAUE expressed through our lives would woo the House of Judah to their Messiah. “Therefore,” unto that end, we should present our bodies as a living sacrifice to IAUE; and we should be transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Let’s first examine this “reasonable service,” of presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to IAUE.  Right thinking begins with understanding why this is a reasonable service…something we should be expected to do.

First, ask yourself, “What is a sacrifice?”  Throughout the Scriptures it refers primarily to the offering of the life of an animal in exchange for something, or as an expression of worship.  It is something that once sacrificed is no longer yours to take back and to do with as you please.  The life of it has been rendered unto IAUE.  We are to offer our bodies as a “living” sacrifice; which means, our sacrifice does not result in the death of that which is presented to IAUE; but it DOES mean that our use of it is no longer ours to do with as we please. It has been given to IAUE as a free will offering.  We relinquish our rights to our body as fully as we would as if it were a corpse.  We are dead to our own life and alive unto IAUE.

2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Messiah constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

These verses explain the justness of the exchange made in our sacrifice.  Messiah died for us that we might live; so in living, it is reasonable to live for him who died to make our life possible.  This is right thinking; but it is not the only reason, however, that this is a reasonable request.

James 2:26  For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Man is comprised of spirit, soul and body. As James clearly states above, the life of our physical bodies is sustained by our spirit.  When our spirit leaves our body, our body no longer is alive.  We call this “giving up the ghost,” today. When man exhales his last breath and his spirit departs, his body becomes a corpse.  It is the spirit of man that animates his physical body.  

When we are born into this world, our spirit is in darkness, alienated from the life and light of IAUE.  This is our heritage from Adam who transgressed the Law of IAUE and condemned all of his descendants to sin and death. We have no truth in the core of our being directing us to know IAUE and to do His will.  Our lives are orchestrated (manipulated) by what we can see, taste, hear, smell and feel of the natural world around us.  It was for this reason that it was necessary that one be born into this world apart from the seed of man to be qualified to deliver us out of darkness; because light could never be the heritage passed down to an offspring from a parent who was born in darkness.

When Yahushua died and rose again, he removed the sin issue between IAUE and man by paying in full the penalty/price our sin required.  When we trust in Yahushua by faith, and bow our knee to him as our master, we are “born again.”

John 1:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:

2 The same came to Yahushua by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from Elohim: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except Elohim be with him.

3 Yahushua answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Elohim.

4 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?

5 Yahushua 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 Elohim.

6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

When we are “born again,” the spirit that animated our bodies from birth is dismissed.  We are given a new spirit…a new life that is uniquely ours and is created in light and in union with IAUE.  Paul says if anyone is in Messiah, he is a “new creature.”  We become something in an instant that did not exist before the moment of our new birth.

David prophesied of this.

Psalm 102:18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise IAUE.

Now, here is where it begins to get really exciting; and forms the foundation of right thinking in this matter of the reasonableness of our offering our bodies as a living sacrifice to IAUE.

Colossians 3:1 If ye then be risen with Messiah, seek those things which are above, where Messiah sitteth on the right hand of IAUE.

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

3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Messiah in IAUE.

Here, Paul explains something extraordinary.  First, he declares that Messiah Yahushua is sitting on the right hand of IAUE.  We know this from many other Scriptures in the New Testament…that he ascended before his disciples in Acts 1, and was received by the cloud and taken to sit at the right hand of the majesty on high.  That is where our Master is, physically, right now, and where he has been for nearly 2,000 years.  Notice, however, that he goes on to say that we are dead; and that our life is hidden with Messiah (who is sitting at the right hand of IAUE in heaven) in IAUE.  The newly created spirit which would be what should be animating our fleshly body, isn’t actually in our physical bodies. It is hidden with Messiah right now in the throne room of IAUE.  So, what is animating our bodies?  How is it that we are still alive if our new born spirit is not in our body?

Colossians 3:4  When Messiah, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Paul says that it is Messiah who is our life.  He explains this in more detail to the Galatians.

Galatians 2:20  I am crucified with Messiah: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Messiah liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of IAUE, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

The apostle acknowledges that he died with Messiah and that despite his union with his death (see Romans 6), his body is still alive; but it isn’t HIM that is living in his body, now; it is Messiah who lives in him.  It is the spirit of Yahushua Messiah that is animating his fleshly body.  His newly created spirit is not what is animating his body.  That spirit is in the throne room of IAUE hidden in Messiah.  

If we can grasp the reality that when we came to Messiah and first trusted in Him, and united with him in his death and resurrection, that the spirit of Yahushua himself took the place of the spirit of darkness that had formerly animated our body from birth unto that moment, we must understand that we are alive solely because his spirit lives in us.  The master who walked the shores of Galilee and preached the truth to the masses, who healed the sick and who cast out demons, resides in our mortal bodies. He is the life force within us that keeps us alive, today.  He has the opportunity to live out that amazing life of righteousness and power through every single one of us if we just get out of his way.  It is reasonable that we would let him do it.  How do we do that?  We do it by offering him our bodies as a living sacrifice.  We are dead to our bodies; allowing him to live his life in us and through us, using our bodies as he would as if it was his own body.  This, if you have not figured it out by this point, is why the Scriptures refer to us as “the body of Messiah.”  We literally are.

Getting out of his way is the big problem; and that goes straight to our need for right thinking; and that is what the second verse in our opening passage of Scripture is all about.  We will look into that in our next post.

Q&A – WHY DO BELIEVERS STILL SIN? - 6

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Q&A –  WHY DO BELIEVERS STILL SIN? - 6

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Freedom from sin is what Messiah died and rose again to produce in our lives.  IAUE desires a family that walks in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:5-7). Such a life is the natural product of the true gospel.

Today, I want to discuss a reason why believers still sin that we ALL know; but we generally do our best to ignore. We see (above) in our summary statement from our last post, that IAUE wants us to walk in the light as He is in the light.  This idea is obvious to anyone who has embraced even a false gospel of Messiah.  The testimony of Scripture from the Garden of Eden to the inauguration of the millennial reign of our Master is replete with commands to walk uprightly before IAUE. 

Walking in the light and living righteously go hand in hand.  They are not the same thing; but you cannot have one without the other.  It is so simple; and yet it is overlooked almost completely by believers, today.

1 John 1:5  This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that IAUE is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6  If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

John 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Darkness defines the realm out of which we have been delivered…rescued by Yahushua Messiah.  He took us out of the “kingdom” of darkness and placed us into the “kingdom” of light.  These are two distinct and opposite jurisdictions, each having their own sovereign and overseers. 

Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

When one walks in the light, by his/her own choice they are yielding their bodies as instruments of obedience unto righteousness (Romans 6:16).  By choosing to walk in darkness, we yield our bodies as instruments of sin unto death.

2 Corinthians 6:14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Act 26:18  To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto Elohim, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Notice the comparison of “darkness” to “the power of Satan,” in that verse.  This is the idea I want to develop.  In the light, nothing is hidden or concealed.  The very object of the dark is concealment; and it is in hiding one’s unrighteous behavior that the enemy of our souls gains power over us.

It is a rare believer who has never conducted a covert life, deliberately concealing activities from their family and friends and fellow believers with whom they interact on a regular basis.  Before them, they are godly respectable followers of Messiah…maybe even pastors and teachers and leaders in the church; but secretly, they are enjoying the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16), knowing full well they are walking in rebellion to their King.  They believe their own deception that as long as they are living good lives in public, they can do whatever they want when not in the public eye. This darkness is an open door to “principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world and spiritual wickedness in high places.”  Paul tells us we are to wrestle AGAINST these demons, not play with them.

It cannot be proclaimed too seriously or too passionately, how destructive doing ANYTHING in darkness is to the life of the believer. If we have done something in secret that we should not have done; we should immediately find someone with whom we can bring it into the light; so the enemy is not given the time, opportunity and power to create an entire structure of deceit within us; and develop within us a secret lifestyle of sin.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The next verse tells us how best to establish the lifestyle that will protect us from hiding anything in our life.

14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

The fear of IAUE is our protection.  One cannot fear IAUE and harden their heart against the righteousness of IAUE at the same time.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of IAUE is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 14:27 The fear of IAUE is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

Proverbs 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of IAUE men depart from evil.

Proverbs 19:23 The fear of IAUE tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

This post is designed to answer the question, “Why do believers still sin?”  It is because they do not bring everything in their life into the light. As long as they entertain ANYTHING that is deliberately kept secret from others, concealed so no one might find out, they are essentially acting as a double agent.  They pretend to be the servant of Yahushua, a faithful believer fellowshipping with the saints of IAUE; but secretly they are actively serving the king of darkness.

Now, one reading this might say to himself/herself, “I am not killing people.  I am not committing adultery.  I am not breaking the law by anything I am doing.  I am not a bad person.”  Did you lust in your heart for someone?  Did you lie to someone?  Did you speak in anger at someone?  Are you holding resentment, bitterness, unforgiveness toward anyone?  Are you having private communications or spending time with someone you don’t want others to know?  In fact, are you doing anything you don’t want others to know?  That is the very definition of walking in darkness.

How do you deal with such secrets, such acts done in the dark?  You bring them to the light…immediately.

James 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

I know the remedy that most Christians understand is 1 John 1:9, to confess their sins and receive forgiveness and cleansing of their unrighteousness; but this is believed to be confessing to IAUE.  Well, this should come as no surprise…He already knows.  The ones to whom you NEED to confess are your brothers and sisters in Messiah.  They are the ones who are being hurt by your deception.  The subject of that chapter of Scripture is how to enjoy and maintain fellowship with IAUE and with your brothers and sisters in Messiah.  Having secret lives, doing things in the dark, injures your fellowship with the body of Messiah.  The Scriptural remedy is to bring it into the light, to confess your faults to one another, so there is absolutely nothing you are hiding.  They very idea of wanting to prevent others from knowing something about us should be the trigger to confessing it.  IAUE is light; and in Him is NO DARKNESS at all.  That is how we should be living.

I think it is interesting to note that one might say they are not secretly enjoying the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh; and yet it is the pride of life that is the most powerful obstacle to confession.  We fear what others may think about us; how we may be degraded in their eyes from the kind of person we want them to think we are; but in reality, we need their help to keep us the kind of person IAUE wants us to be.