The Cross Establishes Our Position After Redemption
The Cross brought the Exaltation of Jesus Christ above all (Philippians 2:8-11). All Authority in Heaven and on earth has been granted to Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18). We are subject to the physical authority on earth (Romans 13:1-8), which have been appointed by God. Jesus has given us the Commission to: Go, make disciples, baptize, and teach of Him (Matthew 28:19-20). God must first open our spiritual eyes to understand Him and His Authority (Ephesians 1:17-23). We must understand our position in Christ and His Love (Ephesians 2:1-10).
Our Walk with Jesus
We must always humbly come to Jesus and learn from Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Constantly, our individual walk must always begin from the position of His Cross (1 Corinthians 2:2):
- I have been crucified with Christ, no longer I, but Christ in me (Galatians 2:20)
- Flesh has been crucified and overcome by me (Galatians 5:24)
- World has been crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14)
We consider Jesus, as our example, and how endured His Cross (Hebrews 12:1-3)
Our Walk by Faith (Hebrews 11:1-40)
Our walk must be from a position of faith, without faith it is impossible to please Him (Hebrews 11:6). We must learn to walk by faith, and not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7-9), to be well pleasing to Him. The Bible's definition of Faith (Hebrews 11:1), where faith is:
- The substance of things hoped for (Hebrews 11:1-2)—belief in what God is speaking to us now
- The evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:2-4)—proof of our acting on what God said
His Works will follow our walking in faith, which God gives as our good testimony:
- Abel's righteous sacrifice pleased God, but God did not respect Cain's offering (Hebrews 11:4)
- Enoch's testimony was that he pleased God (Hebrews 11:5)
- Noah heard God, acted on His Word, and God saved him and his household (Hebrews 11:7)
- Abraham heard God, obeyed , went out, not knowing where he was going(Hebrews 11:8)-he waited for and sought after God's heavenly homeland (Hebrews 11:9-20)
Faith without Works is dead (James 2:17-26), it cannot bring Life to us or others
Faith Begins with The Word of God (Isaiah 55:11)
Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17) and hearing by the Word of God, we hear Him, believe & obey. The Word of God must be heard and mixed with faith (Hebrews 4:2-3) to be beneficial for His Works. The Word of God is spirit and must be spiritually understood (John 6:63) to bring Life. The Word of God is living, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword to divide (Hebrews 4:12):
- Soul/spirit (our emotions, will, and opinions (natural) separated from the spirit)
- Joints/marrow (our body movement separated from the life in the bones)
- Discerns the thoughts/intents of heart (separates the evil thoughts from mind of Christ)
God reveals Himself and speaks with us spiritually (1 Corinthians 2:9-16) and not through the natural man. The Cross of Christ brings His power for us to be renewed from the natural to the spiritual (1 Corinthians 15:42-50):
- Natural body (Adam's dust body) to spiritual Body (glorified in Christ) (1 Corinthians 15:44)
- First man Adam (living being) to last Adam (Christ as Life-giving Spirit) (1 Corinthians 15:45-46)
- We now have the image of the man of dust (Adam) (1 Corinthians 15:47-48), but we soon shall bear the image of the heavenly Man (Jesus Christ)(1 Corinthians 15:48-50)
God Loves the Spirit, but Hates the Flesh (romans 9:6-13)
God loves Jacob (spiritual man-Spirit), but hates Esau (natural man-flesh) (Romans 9:11-13). The Old Testament example of Jacob and Esau as two peoples separated in & from womb (Genesis 25:22-23)
- Esau (flesh) born first separated from Jacob (Spirit), but grabbed Esau's heel (Genesis 25:24-26)
- The older (Esau-flesh) shall serve the younger (Jacob-Spirit) (Genesis 25:23)
God loves the Work of the Spirit, but hates the work of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17)
Mankind Inherited the Flesh from Fallen Adam
Adam's judgment came to us all by our separation from God (Genesis 3:22-24) and the Tree of Life. Mankind has the fallen body, soul, and spirit of Adam (Romans 5:17-19), but Christ restored the Spirit. Our flesh body is made from the dust and will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50). Nothing good dwells in our flesh (Romans 7:18-19), which opposes the things of God
three laws that are active within each of us (Romans 7:21-23):
- Law of God—Spirit—spiritual man with renewed nature of Christ in our heart (Romans 7:22)
- Law of the mind—Soul—mind with free will choice under war from law of sin (Romans 7:23)
- Law of sin—Flesh—body of sin with fleshly members inherited from Adam (Romans 7:23)
We must delivered from this body of death (Romans 7:24) and cannot save ourselves
Man Can Inherit the Spirit from the Risen Christ
Jesus came in the likeness of sinful flesh (Romans 8:3), as the Son of Man, because of sin. Jesus Christ was also born by the Holy Spirit, as the Son of God, with the Spirit nature (Luke 1:30-35). Thank God for Jesus Christ, as our Deliverer (Romans 7:23-8:7), who enables our minds to choose Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit can be manifest in believers when our flesh is crucified (Galatians 5:22-24). The Cross allows the believers to live and walk in the newness of life in the Spirit (Romans 6:4-5). We can now be in Him, know Him, power of His resurrection, fellowship with His sufferings, being conformed to His death, IF we may attain the resurrection (Philippians 3:8-12). We can be an example and a pattern of Christ for others to walk by the Spirit (Philippians 3:15-17). IF we can now live in the Spirit, we can also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:23).
The Cross Brings Freedom of Choice to Believers
Before the Cross, we were blinded by Satan (the god of world) to the things of God (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). Believers can choose to be mindful of the things of man or the things of God (Matthew 16:21-23). The battle within believers—to continuously choose between the flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18). The Cross brings freedom of choice, so many believers may walk as enemies of Cross:
- An enemy of the Cross of Christ has destruction as their end (the broad way) (Philippians 3:18)
- Their god is their belly (the flesh) (Philippians 3:19)
- Their glory is their shame (not God's glory being manifest, only their shame)
- They set their minds on earthly things (carnally minded)
Babes in Christ are carnally (fleshly) minded and can cause divisions in the church (1 Corinthians 3:1-4). Our every thought must be brought into the obedience of Jesus Christ(2 Corinthians 10:2-6). Our struggle is also with Satan, we put on whole armor of God to stand and overcome (Ephesians 6:10-19). We must overcome Satan by the Blood of Jesus, the Word of our testimony, and not love our lives (Revelations 12:9-11)(Strong's Greek Dictionary 5590: psuche--soul) to the death. Believers must choose to be mindful of the Spirit of God, not of Satan, world, or self (1 Corinthians 2:11-16). We can be transformed by renewing our minds to find and prove God's Will for us (Romans 12:2). Believers can choose the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) and we are being transformed into the image of God from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18).