Open—C. Buchanan, H. Brinkmann
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But after him, Father and God.
Is a place where he is not.
Wrong, and it makes out beyond the whole.
Everything else shall I rest me.
Grand holding. That's right. We stand down.
And let joy of him love them, where my life in the midst of the President shall thrown.
And now it's been all thy name glory we see.
Corinthians chapter 4.
Verses 6:00 and 7:00.
For God.
Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts.
To give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.
In the face of Jesus Christ.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the Excellency of the power may be of God.
And not of us now back in the fourth verse.
Third verse. But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost.
In whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not?
Lest the light now the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
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Brother Walter Potter, whose book Gathering Up the fragments.
Said to us.
God has worked twice in creation.
The old creation and the new creation.
One day.
Two brothers who knew themselves, each of them very, very well.
Met on the street.
When I'm said to the other Are you saved?
And the other brother said I'm half saved.
Well, they both knew what was meant In these bodies. We did grown, being burdened.
You and I.
All of us are walking about in the old creation.
And here we get the.
Old creation implied in this verse God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness.
Now that's the first command in the Bible. Let there be light.
And God the Son is the Creator.
Well, that old creation broke down, and some of us feel it very much. In these bodies we do grown being burdened.
But this?
Treasure that we have where we go on in this sixth verse. A little bit further have shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. This brings us into the light of salvation.
And the old brother meant well. I have the salvation of the soul, but I don't have the salvation of the body yet, and we want to look into that a bit. But the wonderful thing for all of us is that we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
The ministry that is indicated in chapter.
3 is what we have in earthen vessels.
In these chapters 3 and four, we have, especially heading up in Chapter 3, the ministry that's committed to us.
The Ministry of Reconciliation.
The ministration of righteousness it is called.
That's given to us right now, while we're still walking about.
Possibly it's right to say an unredeemed bodies. At least they're not.
The new creation. But they will be it is these bodies.
That will be changed and be made like under that body of glory that the Lord Jesus has.
And that is one of the greatest comforts that I know of.
That there's going to be a change one day and brother and I think we're getting.
Very close to it.
Now the Lord is the beginner of the old creation.
And I believe he's the beginner of the new creation. In fact, I'm sure of it. Let's turn to.
The words in.
Revelation Chapter 3 that are spoken to the last church that Laodicea. How that?
The one who appears in the midst of the candlesticks.
Now he does appear.
In Revelation 3 verse 14.
Unto the Angel of the Church of the Laodiceans write these things, saith the Amen.
So let it be.
The faithful and true witness.
Oh, yes, he ever.
Is that now this last statement, the beginning of the creation of God?
I think we could put that as the beginner of the creation of God as well as the beginning of the creation of God. Now let's look at that in John chapter 20.
The first time.
The new creation was ever seen.
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Is in John 20 to marry?
And here's the verse.
Well, we read a few verses.
Mary verse 11 stood without the sepulchre weeping.
And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre.
And see if 2 angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.
And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away, my Lord?
And I know not where they have laid him.
And when she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus.
Standing.
Now, that's the first time.
New creation was ever seen.
I believe it's right to say that Jesus is the beginner and he is the beginning of the new creation, the creation of God, which can never ever be spoiled because more or less the old creation began with Adam.
And he could be spoiled, and he was. He fell in sin and dragged down the whole of the old creation with him. Now God is never defeated. It looks like it doesn't every time you go to it.
Burial, it looks like. It looks like defeat. We know for the believer it's not.
Its victory, but it took this man to show it to us.
So we'd have the joy and the absolute certainty of the.
Full result and not always be half saved.
Another old brother.
Said this, I have everything I'll have in the glory, except two things.
There I won't have the old body, I'll have a new one and I won't have the.
Old evil nature as we heard that died at the cross in Christ. So Christ is definitely the beginner and the beginning of the new creation. And here he shows himself for the first time to marry that woman out of whom he had cast 7 demons who showed such tremendous devotion.
She came to the sepulchre early.
And the Lord was pleased to show himself to her first reading, the Gospel of Mark.
He appeared first to marry, so here is the new creation, Jesus.
Standing There are a few more precious things here that we might pick up in as much as we read this.
She knew not that it was Jesus.
There are going to be some demonstrations of the power of that new creation that we will look at.
As yet, Mary didn't recognize him. He was in the.
New creation standing there.
Well, I guess she hadn't turned around yet to look at him, but he was there.
And Jesus said unto her, Woman, Why weepest now verse 15, Whom seek us down Now what she says is astonishing. She's supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. This is her love and.
Faith and devotion that would do anything possible.
To get that body of her precious savior to find out what had happened to it.
Now Jesus said unto her, Verse 16 Mary.
Ah, she turned.
She turned herself and saving him Rabbuni, which is to say Master or my master?
Immediately, recognition comes to her when she hears her name pronounced.
But she had thought he was the gardener, the one that kept that garden.
Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, but go to my.
Brethren, now we have had new creation. Now we have a.
New name, my brethren, the Lord.
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Announces that go to my brethren, and say unto them I ascend now this is new position.
This is Jesus saying I ascend new possession going up.
To where the heavenly creation.
Will be and where he is new position.
Unto my Father and your Father.
That's a new relationship. The first time this has fully come out is here that the Lord says, my father and your father, my God and your God. So we're getting some new things.
Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, that he had spoken these things to her.
The same day at evening. Now the day was the 1St.
Day of the week. And so that's what it says. It was the day of the resurrection.
Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week. Now we get a new day for observance in this period of time that has followed since the resurrection when Church truth has come out, and we have spoken of that as the Lord's day, because it was the first day of the week. There are some new things. Now we've got a new day.
What else have we? When the doors were shut, where the disciples were gathered, were assembled. Now we have a new assembly.
For fear, the Jews came Jesus. Now we have a new center. These things fit.
The Church Period.
He stood in the midst and saved them them peace be unto you.
A new message piece. How wonderful these new things are that go.
With the new creation and the new position of the Church for the Lord appeared three times here in John Will just state that the first appearance was for the Church for the formation of the Church.
We'll go a little further. Maybe we'll get some of that.
I would say though that.
The doors were shut.
And Jesus came in.
That power that belongs to the new creation.
Jesus coming in in new creation with the doors shut. We're going to find out as we look at some of these things that there are no limitations in the new creation. We can't understand that neither time nor distance nor barriers hinder new creation in any way how marvelous new creation is.
And when he had so said, verse 20, He showed unto them his hands and his side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord?
Well in time, brethren, we have seen the Lord by faith. This is true.
Church position.
Even with the doors being shot here for fear of the Jews.
But it's the Lord in the midst of his people and speaking peace to them.
Reading on in verse 21, then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you, he says it twice.
As my father has sent me Even so send I you. Yesterday it remarked about the.
Disciples that they were commissioned.
In the early part of the Gospels, I think it's Mark 3 where it says he chose 12 That they should.
Be with him and that they should go for it.
Now that's the difference between a disciple and an apostle.
The disciples took the place of being apostles.
A disciple is a follower, so that in principle you and I.
Need to follow the Lord before he can send us.
Be a disciple and then there will be a Commission.
Yesterday we heard about a recommission. I suppose that's what this is. Verse 21 again. Peace be unto you. As my father hath sent me Even so send I you. We believe there were ten there. There weren't the 12, because Thomas wasn't there and Judas wasn't there. Nevertheless, here he gives them a special mission.
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Sent into this world.
Just as the Father had sent Jesus who was.
Getting ready to leave, to ascend up to where he had been before having completed the Redemption's work.
So he has these, and says, as my Father has sent me, Even so send I you. When he had thus said, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye Holy Ghost.
He doesn't give it by measure. When God gives the Holy Spirit, he gives the person.
Think that's probably the right reading? Receive ye, Holy Ghost?
And then a new power to go with it. Whosoever sins ye remain, they are remitted unto them.
And whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.
Now let's go on.
Passing over the case of Thomas, although that's very interesting, but we should mention in passing.
Now there are two appearings of the Lord in chapter 20.
And we believe typically the first one was for the formation of the church.
And Thomas is a.
The representative of the Jews who will believe when they see the Lord in the last days.
So it's the second appearing.
And interesting, you can read it when he came in the second time.
He said the same message, but it doesn't say anything about.
The doors being shut for fear of the Jews. I believe the company had gotten that piece and they didn't care whether the doors were shut or not when they have the Lord in the midst sees everything.
So we'll say that the appearing the second time was for the Jews that will believe when they see Jesus in the last days.
Now there's going to be a millennial company.
And it's going to be a heavenly company and an earthly company.
Do we read a little bit in this 21St chapter because it takes up another company?
Who will be in the millennial blessedness after these things? Jesus showed himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.
And on this wise showed he himself.
There were together Simon, Peter and Thomas, called Didymus and Nathaniel of Kenan Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee and two other of his disciples.
That makes 7 in all here. Is the leader of 6 followers here.
Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing.
They went forth and entered into a ship immediately, and that night they caught nothing.
And when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore.
But the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.
Began to reveal himself yet, but it was Jesus.
He could hide his identity when he wanted to, appearing as.
If the man on the shore that was fixing up something for them.
Then Jesus said to them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him. No, he said unto them, Cast the net.
On the right side of the ship, and he shall find they cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it.
For the multitude of fishes.
Therefore the disciple whom Jesus loves saith unto Peter, it is the Lord.
Peter recognized him by the power that he had displayed.
In closing, in the net a great multitude of fishes.
I better stop and remark that we can understand this symbolic.
Prophetical action here and apply it because.
In the 5th loop.
When the Lord called Peter.
And told him to cast down the Nets. He only put one down.
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And he enclosed a great multitude of fishes there but the net break, and they couldn't get all of it to shore, a symbol of the lack of gathering, all for the blessedness of the Millennium, when it's committed to man. And even the Lord's work didn't Gather the Jews, he said, weeping over Jerusalem, the 23rd of Matthew. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How often would I have gathered thy children together?
As a hand gathered her kicks under her wings. And ye would not that his man won't be gathered in grace.
Even if the Lord is doing it, and even if it's Peter that went on in his further ministry to gather, and 3000 souls were preached, were saved when he preached there on the day of Pentecost, and many have been gathered, but not all but here.
It goes on and says.
We'll read it.
Decatur verse six, he said unto them. Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find they cast therefore.
And now we're not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loves, saith unto Peter.
It is the Lord now. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he gird his Fisher's coat under him. For he was naked, and did cast himself into the sea. And the other disciples came in a little ship, for they were not far from land, but as it were 200 cubits dragging the net with fishes, as soon as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish.
Laid.
There on and bread.
Saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the nephew land full of great fishes, and 150 and three. Now this statement for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Now this figure is the Lord gathering, the remnant of Israel, and the spared.
Of the nations for the Millennial Company on Earth.
And he's going to send out his brethren. It will be a fast work at the close of the tribulation period to have a company for the Millennium on earth. So in the Millennium there will be the heavenly company, and there will be the earthly company composed of the Jews at the center and the spirit of the Israel, the 10 tribes and the nations brought together.
Around Israel.
On earth to enjoy that thousand years of blessedness of the millennial reign. Interesting that we have this in a prophetical picture in John 20 and 21 and the net doesn't break. It is successful because it's power, with the Lord acting to finally gather a people through judgments of the tribulation period.
But to be brought into the millennial scene.
And.
It will be the time when the Lord again rejoins his people to have communion with them because he prepares food.
And.
As soon verse 9, as soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there.
And fish laid there on.
The Lord had left them in John's Gospel at supper in the 13th chapter and taken a new position at their feet to wash their feet, A type of the high priestly service of the Lord Jesus during all this interval between the.
The working with the Jews on earth and him going up to heaven.
And serving His people from heaven to wash our feet.
And he's going to come back. He left them in Galilee, and he's going to come back to Galilee.
And apparently he's going to eat with them, because in verse 12 Jesus said unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples asked him, Who art thou, knowing that it was the Lord?
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Then cometh Jesus, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. Now this is the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples. After that he was written from the dead. It seems to me that another power in the new creation is that we will be able to commune together.
Eating is suggesting of that, we're quite sure of that. But let's get a few more thoughts about the power of that new creation turning back to Luke 24. You know new creation was seen on the earth for 40 days and then Jesus went up.
And there are some very precious things that we learn about the new creation in Jesus.
That man.
He came and was born as a babe. He grew up as a man. He died as a man.
Now say that when the Sadducees charge the Lord about the doctrine of baptism in the 20th of John, he replied to them and said, You know nothing at all. And in that world they neither marry nor given in marriage, but are equal to the angels, neither can they die anymore.
The Lord took a life that he could die in. He died in it. He rose still a man in new creation. He ascended as a man. He is a man in the glory. He will always be a man. And when he comes it says Christ the first fruits, Afterwards they that are Christ at his coming. Before we read in Luke 24, I'd like for you to turn to Philippians chapter 3 to get something of the.
Wonders.
Of that power that belongs to that man to set us into the same position.
As He is in new creation as to the body.
When you get old, these truths are very precious. They ought to be precious to all of us, and especially as we are here in looking at a 1995 calendar that's about half gone, and expecting the Lord in any moment when we shall actually get this new body.
Our conversation, verse 20. Our manner of our our citizenship. Not manner of life here, it's citizenship.
Our country to which we belong verse 20 of Philippians 3. Our conversation is in heaven.
That's where we belong. That's where the Church is going to be taken.
That which the Lord took up the very Resurrection Day and came into that company a figure of the Church.
He's going to take that company to heaven. Here, it explains a little bit about it.
From winter also, we look for the savior.
Now here he is the Savior that's going to completely save us. We are half saved. We have new life. We have the Spirit dwelling within us. But we groan in these bodies. We're not always going to do that.
Who shall change Our Body of Humiliation? Is the best translation, not vile bodies. These bodies are precious to Christ and to God.
That it may be fashion like unto his glorious body according to the working whereby he is able.
Or aren't those words grand?
Jesus Christ, who is able what to do even to subdue all things unto Himself, and make these bodies your body, my body, like His glorious body, which had no limitations could appear.
There suddenly to marry and suddenly to those on the shore. And now let's go to Luke and see how he appeared there on those two for those two going down to Emmaus.
In Luke 24.
We're going to have to read a little bit to get the picture right.
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The subject begins in verse 13.
Two of them went that same day called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem, about 3 score furlongs. That is, these two who loved the Lord, genuinely loved him and felt like they had lost him, had turned away from the divine center at Jerusalem, very, very disappointed.
They were talking to one another. Verse 15. Jesus himself drew near and went with them.
But their eyes were holding that they should not know him. Now here's the power of the new creation to appear as just a stranger, and that's what they called him.
Their eyes were holding that they should not know him. He said unto them, Verse 17 What manner of communications are these?
That ye have one with to another as you walk in, Or sad. And one of them, whose name was Cleopas answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem? The power of the new creation could appear, however, was necessary for the occasion.
And has not known the things which are come to pass there in these days. He probed. He said to them what things they said unto him concerning Jesus of Nazareth. That's the title that was over the cross.
Which was a prophet, mighty indeed, and word before God and all the people, they just called him a prophet here.
But they had more in their mind. And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death. I have crucified him.
Here's what they had in mind before. But we trusted that he had been that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. Beside all this, today is the third day since these things were done. Certain women also of our company, made us astonished, which were early at the Sepulchre. And they found not his body. And they came, said they had seen a vision of angels, and that he was alive. Certain of them, verse 2624, which were with us, went to the Sepulchre and found it even as the women had said.
We have an empty sepulchre where the Lord lay. We have a.
Living Savior and a loving Savior.
Then he said verse 25. Now here's one of the biggest revelations in teaching that.
Anybody ever got, I believe.
But he starts at old fools of slow heart, to believe that's us too, all that the prophets have spoken. When that's written in God's Word, we better believe it.
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory the Lord?
Tells them the Christ is going to enter into his glory. Then you know that.
Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
They drew near under the village. Whither they went, he made as though he would have gone further.
And they constrained him, saying, Abide with us, for it is toward evening, the day is far spent, and he went into Terry with them.
We see the wisdom of the Lord in working to get into their homes.
And to get into their hearts to restore them. Oh, let's listen when the Lord is dealing with us.
He wants to get into our homes. He wants to get into our hearts.
They reunited the village whither they went, and he made as though he would have gone further. He tests them. Are you going to invite me into your home?
But they constrained him. Yeah, the love of Christ constraineth us. We've just heard that.
And they were constrained, saying abide with us. Isn't this nice? They didn't know yet who they had invited.
Some of them entertained strange girls under strangers unawares in the Old Testament, but here it was the Lord because he had withheld his identity as the head of the new creation.
He lets them see it in the proper time.
And he went in to carry with them, and it came to pass as he sat at meet with them, he took bread and blessed it and break it and gave to them. And their eyes were open. How wonderful to get their eyes open.
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They had opened their home.
Opens their heart and now he opens their eyes and they knew him. Then what happened? He vanished out of their sight, Power of the new creation.
I won't take a whole lot more time.
But I would like to turn.
To Paul in Second Corinthians.
Chapter 12.
For he was.
Caught up.
To the 3rd heaven.
To Paul.
Was given this special.
What shall we call it?
View of the Lord and of the glory. Let's read a little bit.
Verse one of chapter 12, Two Corinthians. It is not expedient before me. Doubtless to glory I will come divisions and revelations of the Lord. I knew a man in Christ.
Now if we would have read.
In Two Corinthians 5.
17 It says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. But the translation that we sometimes compare is there is a new creation, a man in Christ, the new creation.
I knew a man in Christ, he says above 14 years ago. Whether in the body I cannot tell, or whether out of the body I cannot tell. God North.
Now Paul, in trying to write to us, he gives us a little bit more information about the power of that new creation.
And he can't explain it very well.
He says. I don't know.
Whether that man was in the body or out of the body.
I can't tell you that. God knows.
What a large picture is put here of the absolute lack of any limitations of this body.
Your body. No limitations whatever Paul had, and he says it over again. Such an one caught up to the 3rd heaven. I knew such a man, whether in the body or out of the body. I cannot tell. God knoweth how he was caught up into paradise.
The paradise of God, and heard unspeakable words which it is not lawful.
Not possible for a man to utter of such, and one will I glory.
Yet are myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. So Paul had this experience.
Of new creation, we'll have to say, and through it we have a further.
Manifestation of the power of the new creation, that body.
That we are going to get when the Lord comes, so let's.
Cheer up, we're getting very close to that new creation.
Look briefly.
And recognizing to have limited time in Romans 7.
And also Galatians 5 we have heard during these meetings.
Much about the new nature and the flesh.
The old man.
And we.
Had already reference made to 1St Romans 7 and.
What is helpful to see?
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That in Romans 7 we have.
Two husbands, the principal spelled out.
In other words.
We cannot have two husbands.
When we belong to Christ.
The first husband is the law. The second husband is the reason Christ.
And this chapter, not being understood by many Christians, has thrown them into confusion. What we really have in Christendom is spiritual adultery committed by Christians, in which way they belong to the risen Christ, yet take the position of law.
Here they have a new nature.
Yet they try.
To please God and the principle of law, by their own doings, in their own energy.
And then we find that there are two laws.
And this is, again, oftentimes not understood.
Verse 22 For I delight in the law of God after the invert man this is.
The believer speaking now here because of his new nature that he has, the old nature, is as much alive in the believer as it ever was.
And that's why this nature manifests itself in wanting to do evil. And yet the new nature delights in the law of God wants to do that which is right.
I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind.
And bringing me into captivity by the law of sin.
Which is in my members the law of my mind is the new nature that we have, and that nature delights in the law of God.
Rhoda Lambeen communicated this to us and I put it to memory. The divine nature gives me capacity for divine things.
I can now enjoy divine things because I have a new nature.
But that nature does not give me any power.
I need more.
Then a divine nature, and that is not mentioned at all.
In the 7th chapter we have it. In the 8th chapter the deliverance comes through the indwelling Spirit, and it is found in another, not in ourselves. We are not in our own strength, able to gain the V1 has won it for us, and that victory is who shall deliver me.
The Lord Jesus is the one that delivers me. But the power to live a life that the new nature delights in is the indwelling Spirit beloved, and you and I have it. If we are Christians, we have more than a divine nature and a desire to do that which is right. We have a divine person in dwelling. We have heard that already during these meetings.
This divine spirit.
However, Divine Person is the Spirit of God. That is the power. So what you and I have to do, beloved, is to let that spirit to control us. Here in Romans, the conflict is between the divine nature and that law that is within the divine nature.
And the law of sin. And there is defeat. There is no victory, because the soul.
Depends on his own energy, upon his own strength. Now let's turn to Galatians.
Galatians, chapter 5.
Verse 16.
This I say, Then walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill.
The law of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary to the one, the one to the other, so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if he be let of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifested, Which are these?
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Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry.
Witchcraft. Hatred, Varennes Emulation, Wrath, Strife.
Seditions, heresies, envying, murders, strickenness, revelings, and such like of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, the day which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God, but the fruit. Notice that singular of the Spirit is Lovejoy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness.
Goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
I should add that in Romans Chapter 7 you see the two eyes.
Nature that would desire to do well, and then the nature that wants to do evil. And these natures are in the believer. It is true that these natures are judged, the flesh is judged, and the old man has been put to death, but the nature and the flesh is still in US and can take control.
But the secret for Christian living is given in verse 16. Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. The conflict here is between the spirit and the flesh, not the nature that desires right.
That is the Spirit of God, and there's this conflict between the Spirit.
And the flesh. And all we have to do, beloved, is let that spirit take control.
And this spirit will bring before us the person and work of the Lord Jesus and that which will feed our souls.
You know, we have to be careful, beloved.
And may I put it this way, There is such a thing as spiritual self preservation. What do I mean by that?
I know if I look at bad things, if I listen to bad things, if I walk in the company with wicked men, that it will stir up within me the flesh. It will present things to me to which this flesh will respond.
I therefore knowing this.
Helped by the Spirit of God, will turn away from vanity, will turn away from that which the flesh would want to feed on.
Why don't I have a television in my house? Why do I not have filthy magazines in my house? Why do I not allow people to tell me dirty jokes?
Because this is what stirs up the flesh. It's not a legal attitude that I say I do not dare have this and I must not have it like under the law. No, I know that if I allow it.
That will feed the flesh, and it hinders me in my spiritual life, in my growth and development.
You know, so I recognize evil for what it is, and then ask the Lord for help by his Spirit to help me to turn away from these things and to feed on that which will strengthen the divine nature.
You know which feeds this divine nature and it will get strong. That's the simplicity of Christian life.
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It's just like we look at that glorious person. We're having Corinthians.
And we are transformed from glory to glory by being occupied with the person of the Lord Jesus.
You know you can't at the same time be occupied with him and then watching a filthy movie or reading a bad book.
You can't. You have often told the story that when I first came to this country, I didn't know a word of English.
And then we were living with relatives. We didn't have our own home yet, and they had a television. And I said to myself, this is a good way to learn English, and it is a good way to learn English because you see what they're talking about and what they're doing. But you know, what I found out is.
I didn't have the energy to be occupied with the Scriptures and with the things of God.
You cannot mix oil and water.
You see, you cannot feed. And then it feeds the flesh, and then expect that you have spiritual exercises and that you grow strong spiritually. We have to, beloved, recognize the dangers that exist for us, and there is in all of us there which responds to evil because of that nature that we still have.
So we have to recognize that, and let me repeat, that is spiritual self preservation, to turn away from that which hinders me in my Christian life. And I have the power to do that. You have the power to do that. By that indwelling Spirit, he gives us discernment as to what is good and what is right, and he would want to occupy us with the person of the Lord Jesus.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest.
And here we have a list.
And it's plural. The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, and all these things that I mentioned here. A friend of mine told me that his children were in school and they had scheduled a meeting to discuss.
Sex education in high school.
So his children being of that age, he went there and wanted to hear what their plans were and he listened for some time and he finally got up and said, ladies and gentlemen, I have the feeling that you're enjoying the subject. Goodbye. He left.
I think he had the right discernment, you know well.
We certainly should ask the Lord for grace to turn away.
And to let people know where we stand.
You know that we are not willing to listen to dirty jokes and this kind of a thing. I've been told that.
Brother Smith, years ago, was going home on the bus late at night and there were only a few people on that bus.
He was one and the driver and another man and they were having.
Their talks and boasting of their sinful life. And he had to listen to that. Finally he got up. When he went out, he looked at these men, looked into their face and said, gentlemen, ************ and adulterers, God will judge good night. He recruited their wickedness. And you know, isn't it true that we have all more or less at one time or another experienced it that.
When we were in the company of unbelievers, or we were walking into a room when they were discussing things that were unseemly, that they changed the subject because they knew it was not a tolerable subject for a Christian. And in this way I believe this is an example. You made comments about being the salt of the earth.
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You know, by our life and our testimony people.
Will be hindered.
In displaying sin to a greater.
Extent as they will when the church is taken out of this scene when the Christian is not around.
But how wonderful to read these wonderful things. The fruit of the Spirit. These are the things that should be manifested in you and my life. Now how is it possible for me to manifest love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance? Against such there is no law.
Where do we see it perfectly displayed?
We see it perfectly displayed in the Lord Jesus.
We all have to confess that at times we fall short.
But in him, these virtues that are mentioned here are perfectly displayed.
And as we are occupied with that blessed person, we are transformed. You know, there is a change taking place. You know, have we not witnessed that sometimes that to get married, you know, and there are two different individuals, but you know, they make adjustments, you know, and they start acting in a way that would be pleasing to their married partner.
And.
This is a weak, weak, simple example as we go on in communion and fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
These things will be displayed.
Joy is one of the things.
You know the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy. And the Holy Spirit. You know there's such a thing as being happy and joyful in spite of whatever circumstances the Lord might allow us to go through.
You know, a legal person is not a joyful person. Of course, the joy of which the word of God speaks that is manifested in the believer, is not to be jolly and this kind of a thing. But it is joy that in spite of whatever adverse circumstances we might be passing through, we can enjoy the things of the Lord Jesus. Like Paul and Silas in prison they were singing.
You know they prayed first.
But then they were singing. I've been occupied of late with Psalm 84 and that wonderful verse there going through the valley of Baker.
It turns into a well, a source of blessing.
Have you not experienced that at one time or another, that the most painful experiences in our life have been the greatest source of blessing?
And we feel drawn closer to the Lord. We need to be closer to Him. We feel it. And He uses oftentimes these circumstances to draw us closer to Him. And in spite of the adverse circumstances, we can rejoice in the Lord Jesus, the one that never changes.
That always abideth the same.
And he can be leaned on in all circumstances.
And peace.
Long-suffering, you know, These are things, beloved, that are not natural to us. Now, we might have natural love, but I don't think that Paul is speaking here of that kind of love, you know, it speaks here of that love which we see perfectly displayed in the Lord Jesus and in God himself for his love, that he can love objects that are not worthy of his love.
You know, is it not possible, beloved, that we can love someone although that person might have grieved us and harmed us?
Yes, I believe that's possible. I'm not saying that I've always been able to do that, that I've not failed in that. But that is nevertheless what the Spirit of our God can produce, Beloved in us, if we walk in fellowship and communion with the Lord Jesus.
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Gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness. Well learn of me. The Lord Jesus said we had that, did we not? Someone read that verse in Matthew. Learn of me if I'm meek and lowly in heart. Well, these things can be learned in the company of the Lord Jesus as we walk in communion with him, and the Spirit of God will help.
To produce or reproduce these things in US so that it can be seen.
In us by others.
And they did not. Christ have crucified the flesh with the affections and lost. I don't think this means here that this flesh is put to death. But they have crucified it. They have recognized it as totally unuseful, you know, and have recognized that what scripture says the flesh profits nothing. And I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good.
Thing. And that we do not in any way seek in the energy of the flesh, even to do things for God.
You know we are enabled to do things for God in the power of the Spirit, as the Lord enables us to do things for him. But all credit goes to him, because he is the one that worketh in us to will and to do.
You know, and he wants to accomplish that in everyone's life.
It is good that we become exercised about these things when we're young.
You know, we don't have to be old people before we become exercise, that these things might be manifested in our lives. Now, I'm not going to work on this, and this is not the way of God in our lives. In other words, I'm going to work now on the principle of love, and I'm going to try to show love, and then I'm going to try to show any of these other things.
No, I believe these things will automatically unfold as we go on in communion with the Lord Jesus, led by the Spirit of God every day of our life. You know, Christianity is not just something that we practice on Lord's Day when we go to meetings. You know, this meeting going.
Christianity is not what we find in the word of God. Christianity is something for every day of our life. You know we can live as Christians when we go to school, boys and girls.
You know, we can practice to be Christians in school, and as we get older, we can practice to be Christians at work, and then we can practice to be Christians in our family. You know, to act like a Christian husband, like a Christian wife.
You know what a difference it makes in our lives to let the Lord help us, even in these relationships and duties that we face every day of our lives? No, marriage is not an easy thing, as many of us have experienced.
But how wonderful to have the help of the Lord Jesus, to have the help of the Spirit, even in these relationships. You know, for the sisters, this is not always easy to submit to the husband. Neither is it always easy to submit to the parents for the children, because they might sometimes have a different judgment and opinion about matters. And that's what submission means, that I submit in spite of my perhaps having different ideas.
And different thoughts. And if I walk with the Lord Jesus every day, he helps me in that.
You know, it's not easy at work to say yes Sir, because I'm sure it is happened in your life and my life that we were asked to do something and we knew that it was not the best thing to do.
That it was a better win thing to do it, but you know, the boss says you do it this way and you're going to do it that way because he's the boss.
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And don't you think if we learn to do this in our everyday life, to say yes Sir, to submit, that would also help us in our spiritual life?
To accept orders from the Lord Jesus you know if you don't learn to accept orders.
From our employee, employer or from our parents?
It's logical to conclude that we have a hard time accepting orders from the Lord Jesus.
And to be directed by the Spirit of God.
Well.
Every honest Christian will admit that we have much to work on, You might say, or the Lord has a lot of work to do yet with us to bring about these things in our lives. But do we not desire, Beloved, that these things be found in US? And remember, turn your back and make a decided stand against anything that will not help you spiritually. You know, don't be governed by your natural lives.
And by what would please your flesh? There are things that please the flesh, which are not wicked necessarily, which are not immorality. But it might still be something that pleases the flesh, and we ought to recognize that, and ask the Lord for help to take a stand against anything that might hinder us in our spiritual life.
No, this life is such a short life, you know. I'm sure if you ask Brother Gordon, who is well past 80 now, if he thinks that he has lived a long life, I'm sure he'll tell you. Where have the years gone? Where have the years gone?
And we are not going to be here very long. And this is the only time, beloved, that we can live for God in a world that has turned their back against God. And don't you think when he looks down upon this world and see souls who have a sincere desire that they want to please God, not to please themselves, but to live for Him and to live for the one who has done so much for them?
Redeem them and to make them his. You see, he didn't only redeem us so we wouldn't go to hell. He redeemed us That our lives might count for God, but we have to put our lives under the control of that person that God has given us to help us to live for him. And that's the Spirit of God. He will produce these fruits in our lives that you and I can never produce in the energy of the flesh.
And Sonic squirrels must not play any.
Bloodlessly long to prepare.
Now right in what I can find.
Here is the glory Suns in nursing stars.
Walrath in our joy is giving us life.
And bearing his presence up with.
Grass where he breathed on the soul.
Watch my joy to my voice.
Where we're healthy and sleep ever.
N.
Genesis Chapter 45.
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And verse 24 the last part.
And he said unto them, See that ye fall not out.
By the way, shall we pray?