Christianity Oasis Forum

[saint701]

Hello All,


Blessings!

I believe this is a good read for you. Hope you will learn something new from it. Love ya, Den.

The Kingdom of God Within

To this point we have discussed how our inward man is held captive and of little use as long as it allows our soul-(self will) to run amuck, siding with the flesh on many issues. Our spirituality is subdued because our self will is like the outer covering of a seed. Our spirit will remain trapped in that shell until it understands that allowing the soul to will and do continually in the flesh is killing the soul, which is itself. Our spirit sees that it must help its soul live, and not die. Our spirit must die to itself which is our soul, the seat of our will and personality, etc, and take command. Where before our spirit allowed itself, us, our soul self, to side with the flesh; now having been saturated with our Heavenly Father who is Love, it can no longer let itself abide in the death of the flesh. It sees that our flesh has been slain. It sees that in the flesh is no good thing. It realizes it cannot allow the soul to continue in death.

Having the life of God in it, our spirit begins to act like our Lord and begins chastening us. It turns off our appetite and makes us fast and pray. It makes us feel somehow disconnected to our spiritual life if we act out in the flesh thinking such a thing is still ok. We will feel this way every time we act out in the flesh until we understand such is no longer permitted. We learn as we walk in the spirit, gradually letting go of those things that hinder our walk. We become just a little holier and a little godlier as we willingly listen and obey. We find joy in doing so.

Before this we have been trapped in a never ending cycle of soulish misery. (Good example: ME). We say that we must die to ourselves before we can become a spiritual person. Unfortunately that is saying we, ourselves will die to we ourselves. If we, ourselves, die to ourselves we would cease to exist. What I am saying is us willing to die to our self is our soul saying it will die to itself. Our spiritual man is not speaking. Our soul is speaking. If our soul, self, could save itself, then there would have been no need for our Lord to go to the Cross. But Jesus did go to the cross so He could give us something we didn’t have before, divine spiritual life within. Now that life within refuses to permit the self many things it permitted before. Our spirit turns us toward our Spiritual/spiritual life within. We enter the Kingdom of God.
Siding with our new man in Christ Jesus brings the following every time.

Rom.14
[17] For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
My spirit has never led me astray. Every single time I have sided with my spirit on an issue I have found righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost! Such is wonderful, awesome, stupendous!

Mark.4
[14] The sower soweth the word.
John.12
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

Our spirit understands that it must direct our soul toward heavenly virtues and deeds. Such is still a process, but our spirit has died to itself, soul, and no longer cares one little bit if what it removes from us hurts. Our spirit will tolerate less and less of our soul siding with the flesh.

I'll use myself as an example. This past Friday evening I was sending comments around to my friends on tagged. (It’s easy to do there. I still don’t know how to do it here. DUH! My purpose there is to love all my friends through love comments and tags, and share the good news. Now periodically some of my friends will flirt with me. I know such is just a game as these friends are spread all over the world. Most likely I will never meet any of them, and I have no sense at this time it is my Lord’s will for me to pursue any, anywhere.

Anyway, I flirted back. I don’t do so often as every time I do I feel uncomfortable, as though I am acting out of character. Well, in truth I am because the new me walking after the spirit is no longer that person. The new me sticks to love actions. It is not my character any more to act in a way that is not a love way. The next morning I had a sense that I should inquire of the Lord about my actions of the previous evening. Now my spirit wasn’t involved as I, myself, (soul), was siding with the flesh instead of siding with my spirit I that lives in me. (Remember, it’s a process).

So I asked the Lord if flirting was ok. “Oh sure,” the Lord said. “It’s just ungodly and unholy….”

I got the point.

Up until this past Saturday morning such was allowed. We have grown more accustomed to siding with our spirit quickly when we understand such and such is no longer allowed. Our supreme desire has matured, and whereas before we were slow to understand those things that displeased our Lord in His Spirit/spirit, now we quickly submit in spirit, truth, and love to our Lord as He gently corrects us. There is no condemnation if we walk after the spirit.

I wasn’t and the Lord humbled me.

I’m thankful for that because my spirit now has a greater hold on my will, and I will bear more good fruit.

Our goal is right fruit bearing, and producing such requires us to side with our spirit as much as we know how to do. Gradually we will become more godly and holy as we walk after the Spirit/spirit.

Rom.6
[19] I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Back to our seed being that of the The Word of God. The good ground the Word of God is sewn upon is our Heavenly Dad’s Love. That which is perfect had to come before I could put off being a child and begin walking toward and becoming like our Glorious Father. He had to reveal Himself to me in such a way that what He is, LOVE, would become a part not only of my spiritual life, but life in me, my soul. Paul said it like this.

1 Cor. 13:
[8] Charity never faileth:

but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[9] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

[10] But when that which is perfect is come,

then that which is in part shall be done away.
[11] When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[12] For now we see through a glass, darkly; [u][b]but then face to face:[/u] now I know in part;

but then shall I know even as also I am known

.[/b]

IT IS AFTER WE KNOW OUR HEAVENLY DAD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO US AND IMPARTED HIS LOVE NATURE TO US THAT:

[13] And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; bu

t the greatest of these is charity.

John.12
[24] Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

John.15
[5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
[8] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit;

Luke 17:
[21] Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Blessings!

Love, In Christ Jesus, Saint701.