Spiritual blindness

 

1.      Spiritual blindness

The fourth reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because of being spiritually blinded which is caused by refusing to retain God in our knowledge, and for this reason, God gave those who does not retain Him in their knowledge over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting.

Those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge their minds degenerates from first being knowledgeable to becoming ignorant and from being ignorant to becoming debased which is a state of being lowered in dignity, character, or importance which manifest itself in being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful.

Satan also takes advantage of those who do not like to retain God in their knowledge as illustrated by the apostle Paul who wrote; “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

And so, without being judgmental it is not a difficult task to differentiate a spiritually minded individual from one who is carnally minded and spiritually blinded because it is clearly manifested in our lifestyle and the danger is, who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Therefore, even though we personally may not be practicing these things but approve of those who practice them are subject to the righteous judgment of God.

But the sad reality is, when the Lord has poured out on an individual the spirit of deep sleep, closed their eyes and covered their heads the whole vision becomes to them like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I cannot, for it is sealed."

Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, "Read this, please." And he says, "I am not literate." Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but have removed their hearts far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work among this people, A marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden" (Isaiah 29:9-14).

Again, without being judgmental it is not a difficult task differentiating a carnally minded individual from one who is spiritually minded as exemplified by the apostle Paul who wrote; “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

A carnally minded individual is one who is antagonistic to the law of God and whose mind is set on the  things of the earth as explained by the apostle Paul who wrote: “the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” And, "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is and sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Romans 8:7; Colossians 3:1-3).

Being carnally minded and spiritually blinded is the main reason why so many professing believers are unable to perceive the insult, the defilement, the abomination and profanity that the COVID-19 vaccination impacts on the human body and the dire consequences which follows. The apostle Paul alerted us by saying; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)..

So the crux of the matter is, “Are we only looking at things according to the outward appearance? Or are we also looking at things inwardly? The reality is, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled” (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

What is essentially taking place around us in connection with this mandatory vaccination is a spiritual warfare with the intention to defile and ultimately destroy the temple of the Holy Spirit and so the admonition is; “Put on the whole armor of God that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places: Therefore, let us take up the whole armor of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

.Nevertheless, let us not be ignorant of the fact that, having accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior does not necessarily means that the individual is spiritually minded and can understand and distinguish spiritual things and the sad reality is, perceiving things only in a physical perspective and being merely human will not permit us to understand  the spiritual things that are taking shape around us because, the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATINGS6

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Having faith in the wisdom of men

 

1.      Having faith in the wisdom of men

The third reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because, we have placed our faith in the wisdom of men instead of having our faith in the power of God. Despite the fact that we have been admonished by the apostle Paul saying; “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1Corinthians 2:4-5).

The stark reality is, the wisdom of men regardless of how brilliant it appears to be will ultimately result in death as alluded to by the wise king Solomon who wrote;  “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

The huge mistake which most people make is to affiliate and associate the works of man’s wisdom with the power of God. Man has been given the power to achieve whatever he sets his mind to achieve. From the moment Adam ate the forbidden fruit of the knowledge of good and evil the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever" And during the time of the tower of Babel the Lord said; “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them” (Genesis 3:22; 11:6).

In our present age of technology the world is as united as it was during the days the tower of Babel was being constructed and nothing that man in their wisdom proposes to do will be withheld from them. So man has the capability of achieving whatever they set their minds to achieve. Therefore, to attribute all of man’s achievements to God is gross error on our part for thus says the Lord; “I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images. For My own sake, for My own sake, I will do it; for how should My name be profaned? And I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 42: 8; 48:11).

The irony of truth is, God does not share His glory with man’s wisdom for it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For since in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God; it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1Corinthians 1:19-21).

There is therefore, a huge disparity between the wisdom of man and the wisdom of God. Man indeed has the power to achieve things that are both good and evil, but the good that are to be attributed to God are those which are administered by the Holy Spirit and believers should be able to echo the apostle Paul’s sentiment  by saying; “        I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Because, it is the Holy Spirit living in us that does the work and not we ourselves or electrical gadgets.

And so the admonition is; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy --- meditate on these things.” And of course set out to do it in faith because, faith without works is dead and knowing that it is not by our might nor by our power but by the Holy Spirit, for it is Christ living in us who does the work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Glorify God in spirit

 

Not only are we to glorify God in our body which has become the temple of the Holy Spirit, but we also have to glorify God in spirit which is being manifested:

a.       Through praise

For we have been admonished saying; “Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God." We glorify God in spirit; through the inward man by continually offering the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name, and allowing the word of Christ to dwell in us richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Psalms 50:22-23; Hebrews 13:15; Colossians 3:16).

We glorify the Lord in spirit when we present ourselves before Him at His appointed times and adhering to the protocol which states: “Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns; the world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge the peoples righteously" (1 Chronicles 16:28-31; Psalms 96: 7-10).

We glorify God by being productive as stated by Jesus Who said; “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (John 15:7-8).

We glorify God by rendering excellent quality service as we have been duly admonished saying; “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.” Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Peter 4:11; 1Corinthians 10:31).

Last but not least, we glorify God through suffering in the flesh and so we have received the consolation saying; “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people's matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:14-16).

And so, in this critical and trying times our consolation is; “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy” (1Peter 4:12-13).

With this pandemic the faith of every believer is on trial, but in this we are to greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, we have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of our faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9QXQ4E

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

The hardening and insensitivity of the heart

 

1.      Alienated from the life of God because of the hardening of the heart

The second reason why we are alienated from the life of God and unable to bear spiritual fruits it is because of the hardening and insensitivity of the heart, because although we claim to know God, we do not glorify Him as God, nor are we thankful, but we are futile in our thoughts, and our foolish hearts are darkened. Professing to be wise, we became fools, and are changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, birds, four-footed animals and creeping things” (Romans 1:21-23).

So how are we to glorify God? We are to glorify God in both the nature of the first Adam and that of the last Adam as we have been duly instructed saying: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

To glorify God in our body necessitates that we do not desecrate of defiled our human body because, from since the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the human body is not simply dust and to dust it shall return, but instead, we have been reminded saying; “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For "the two," He says, "shall become one flesh."

And so the admonition is, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:15-19).

So let us now think and walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise and consider this for a moment, if sexual immorality, be it homosexuality, sodomy, bestiality, adultery, fornication, all defiles the human body and deems it unworthy to inherit the kingdom of God, I therefore beg to ask the question, what will be the outcome of the human body, the temple of the Holy Spirit which has been injected directly into the blood stream with aborted human fetuses in order to mutate and facilitate whatever is in the vaccine with the human body, whether it be aids viruses or all sorts of stem cells directly into the blood stream?

Be our own judge! For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world, the choice is ours to make and if we are not chastened it is simply because we do not believe that sexual immorality is sin and that our human body is indeed the temple of the Holy Spirit.

But the scriptures categorically state; “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

So then, the multimillion question to all professing believers in Jesus Christ is, do you personally believe that, the Corona virus vaccines with whatever its composition defies the temple of the Holy Spirit? The choice is for each individual, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S9QXQ4E

To be continued, stay tuned

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Do not be ignorant of who we are?

 Now, there are basically four reasons why some people are alienated from the life of God and fail to produce spiritual fruits.

1.      Ignorance

Ignorance to the reality that humanity is both the offspring of the first and last Adam is a major reason why many are failing to produce spiritual fruits. As the offspring of the first Adam, man has no advantage over the beast as alluded to by the wise King Solomon who wrote; “For what happens to the sons of men also happens to animals; one thing befalls them: as one dies, so dies the other. Surely, they all have one breath; man has no advantage over animals, for all is vanity. All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust. Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-21).

But with the advent of the last Adam he second man from heaven mankind has the preeminence over the animal for we have been duly admonished saying; “The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. And so it is written, "The first man Adam became a living being." The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.’

“However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man” (1 Corinthians 15:42-49).

As the offspring of the first Adam, we were all by nature children of wrath, children of the devil as confirmed by the apostle Paul who wrote; “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Jesus Christ also made mention of the fact that we by nature were the children of the devil when He said to the Pharisees; “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:42-44).

And so, because of this huge disparity that exist between living the life which is in accordance to the flesh and the life which is in accordance to the Spirit, we have duly instructed saying; “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness” (Ephesians 4:17-19).

How often do we hear people saying, “I have only one life to live,” in the context of "Let us travel, eat and drink, for tomorrow we die?" But the irony of truth is, if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

The reality is, there is a daily struggle between the flesh and the Spirit, between the nature of the first and that of the last Adam, and so the admonition is; “ I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).

Let us therefore not be ignorant of who we are, the freedom of choice we all are required to make and. “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Let us all therefore be mindful of the life in the flesh which is contrary and in conflict with that of the Spirit and originated from two different sources. In addition to this; "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. 

   https://www.amazon.com/dp/145385777X

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

 

The reality of the new and living way

The new and living way is as literal and practical as that of the old way; it is the practical way of living by which one has access and relationship with the Father. The comparison between the old way and the new way is identical to a good tree and a bad tree as illustrated by Jesus Christ who said; “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit” (Matthew 12:33).

The irony of truth is, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ humanity stemmed from the tree of life which is Jesus Christ who is eternal life as we have been duly instructed saying; “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life’…And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (1John 5: 11, 12, 20).

 

Jesus Christ said quite explicitly; “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit” (John 15:1-2).

The stark reality is that, “in Him (Jesus Christ) we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17: 28-30).

It is therefore incumbent on everyone to start examining ourselves to see whether we are living in the spirit and bearing the fruits of the Spirit and so the admonition is; “Examine ourselves as to whether we are in the faith. Test ourselves. Do we not know ourselves that Jesus Christ is in us? --- Unless indeed we are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified” (2 Corinthians 13:5-6).

It is important that we continually reminding ourselves that, from now on, meaning, from the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:16-17).

Unfortunately, not too many people have been taught the way of life in the Spirit which is diametrically opposite to the way of life in the flesh, or the way of the inward man as compared to the way of the outward man, for which we have been duly forewarned saying; “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish” (Galatians 5:16-17).

We should all therefore echo the sentiment of the apostle who wrote; “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

Unfortunately, our society, education and religious system have all failed to educate us about the struggle the exist between the outer man and the inward man or between the natural man and the spirit man as we have been duly admonished saying; “if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24).

And so although it is right to say that, “I have only one life to live” It is also important to know how we should live this life, whether we should live it in accordance to the flesh, the outward man, or whether we are going to live it in accordance to the Spirit which is the inward man. For we have been duly instructed saying; “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life” (Galatians 6:7-8).

So you see, our success depends on how we spend our lives whether it is living to gratify the outward man and reap the benefit of corruption or, living to gratify the inward man and reap the benefit of everlasting life which is the immortality of the human body. The choice is ours.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BFP1SMV

To be continued with brotherly love

Lucius Joseph

Walking in newness of life

 

Walking in newness of life

Anyone one has truly accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and has been buried with Him through baptism into death, should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

If indeed we have heard Him (Jesus Christ) and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: we are to put off, concerning our former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of our mind, and that we put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness because,  just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Romans 6: 1-7; Ephesians 4: 21-24).

The crux of the matter is, since the resurrection of Jesus Christ we should regard no one according to the flesh, meaning that we should regard no one as being carnal but as being spiritual. Why? Because at the resurrection of Jesus Christ the carnal mind which is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can ever be was crucified and buried with Christ and as raised in newness of life.

With the carnal mind man had no access to the Father except through multiple animal sacrifices which were offered year by year and still could not make those who approach perfect, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ a new and living way was consecrated for us giving us direct access to the throne of grace And so we have received the consolation saying; “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10: 19-20).

What has eluded the mind of most professing believers is the fact that, humanity received from Jesus Christ a new mind and a new nature and has been reconciled to God. For we have the consolation saying; “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11).

It is imperative to note that, it is not only the believer that has been reconciled to the Father but humanity as a whole, for we have been admonished saying; “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19).

God in Christ reconciling the world to Him is the new life in the spirit. Man was separated from the life of God due to sin as we have been duly admonished saying; “Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

The death of the spiritual man came as the result of Adam and Eve’s transgression, for the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17).

But the devil tempted Eve and said to her, “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:4-5).

The irony of truth is, although Adam lived for nine hundred and thirty years physically before he died, but the same day he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he died spiritually and so, to prevent Adam and Eve from partaking of the tree of life and eat, and live forever He drove out the man from the garden and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

But in the advent of Jesus Christ we have received the assurance saying; “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-7).

This new life therefore, is the rebirth of the sprit in man which gave man access to the Father. But how many of us who profess to be believers are able to make a clear distinction between living in accordance to the flesh and living in accordance to the spirit, or in our present dilemma the difference between having faith in the wisdom of men and having faith in the power of God.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ATINGS6

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph