Subject: clean body natural and spiritual |
Bible Note: Hi Mark, All of Romans 1:1-32, in my understanding, is showing the downward "degeneration" of a human being, that is going farther away from God. It was not that they did not know God Ro 1:19, but the issue was, after they realized God exists, by the wrath of God being revealed, they "became vain in their imaginations (i.e. self-will), and their foolish hearts were darkened (turned to hatred, which is satan). Psm 14:1 The fool: has said in HIS HEART there is no God. If a person declares there is no God, from God's viewpoint, that person is a fool. That is where satan works the hardest is to keep mankind from coming to God. John 3:16 We should be asking God all the questions being asked here,James 1:5, and getting the pure truth from the study of God's word,John 17:17, and the revelation from God, James 1:21-22 in that process. Therefore they degenerated into idol worship, whether of their own wisdom, their flesh (natural) earthly appetites, which James 3:14-16, says is "earthly, sensual, devilish, wisdom." or just chose to be a Psm 14:1 person. The second question, as I perceive God's word, we are to go "from glory (understanding) to glory (understanding)" and be made in the image of God's Son Ro 8:29. How does he do this? II Cor 5:17 Therefore, if ANY MAN (that includes all of us) be IN CHRIST, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Gal 6:15 For IN CHRIST JESUS neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature (avails it all). This new creature is the spirit of man, created of God, by the new birth of that spirit. I Thes 5:23, We are a spirit, we have a soul, we live in a body (an earth suit, designed for our comparatively short stay on earth. That is, compared to eternity.) No, God does not improve our flesh, that's our job, AFTER salvation only. You cannot work FOR savation, but there is much work on understanding, and becomeing doers of God's word, AFTER we are saved. I use the example of a baby being born into the world. They are helpless, uneducated, demanding, needy, growing, learning, maturing, through many stages of growth. That is how I see the salvation experience, and have experienced the salvation experience. I have come to recognize this is not a 30 second sprint, but a life-long, continual learning, changeing, growing, adjusting to fit God, endeavor. Think about it, when you were a baby you didn't know anything you know now. How did you get from there to here? By the process named above. God will never replace your self will. We must be willing, as Jesus was, and is willing, to be on this earth's surface with this testimony, "I came to do thy will O God." John 4:34, John 6:38 and many more statements of Jesus on this theme. This is testified in Phil 2:5-11 Paul speaking of the example Jesus left us to follow, Let this mind be in you...it is a matter of you "letting" or choosing to think like Jesus, speak like Jesus and do like Jesus AFTER you asked him to save you. There’s a difference between before and after! How do you do that? Read everything he said. Know that is who you are and what you are supposed to be doing, follow his example in every area of your life, and when God gets through with you, you'll be his exact image! Think you can't get there from where you are? That's no biggie for God. God is bigger than what's the matter, he is able (fit and qualified) to do exceedingly abundantly above ALL we ask or think. Eph 3:20-21 So just THINK BIG, don't limit God by what you think he can or will do. Just always base it on what he says we can have. If he doesn't say we can have it, we don't need it anyway. But just know, there are tons of stuff in the Bible for believers. If you are a believer, quit reading those things written to unbelievers. Say this to yourself, "I am in Christ, he is my head, I am his body Eph 1:22-23, therefore because my head is a believer, his body, (which is me),is a believer. I, as his body, have everything my head has." Don't believe that? Want a scripture for it? John 16:15 Jesus, our head, said, "All things that the Father has are mine: therefore said I, that he (the Holy Spirit) will take of mine (all the Father has), and shall SHOW IT UNTO YOU." Didn’t it just say he is our head and we are his body? Does your body go anywhere without your head? Or vise versa? No? Jesus and his body are the same way. C.S.M. see next post |