The Eternal Plan of God # 5

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Eternal Plan of God # 5

We have witnessed the break down and failure of the first Adam when he stumbled at the “test” tree and plunged the entire race into darkness. We have furthered observed the God of Heaven set in place a Plan of Redemption.

God has wonderfully created a for those who believe Steps back the WAY and to Father’s House. (Refer to our diagram. Click on chart to expand - click on X to close).

We shared the first four steps back to the “Way” to Father’s House; (1) Regeneration; (2) Healing; (3) Holy Spirit Baptism; (4) the Spiritual Gifts. These steps bring us to the next experience. The Eternal Plan of God # 5 is what we’ll call the Deeper Life or the Christ Life. This is the process which brings the believer to “Sonship” with knowledge.This revelation is in the Word The ultimate in spiritual life is (1) knowing God who is a Spirit. John 4:23-24 (NLT) 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The Heavenly Father is looking for and seeking  believers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Paul tells Timothy in1 Timothy 6:21 (TLB) Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God. May God’s mercy be upon you.  (2) Understanding the Father’s Eternal Plan.  Paul again gives LIGHT regarding God’s Plan  in his epistle to the Rome, Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. It saddens me to see in our world today there is little difference between nonbelievers and so-called-believers. What does that mean? Not many believers are pursuing the “Deeper Life” or what I prefer is the “Christ-Life.” Modern Christianity requires a minimum of consecration and appeals mainly to the flesh nature rather than the spiritual man. With earthly many are playing on the “steps”. The Deeper Life or Christ-Life is a new move of God with an OLD message. The message is the Cross and the crucified life. Spiritual benefits and NOT the temporal benefits are the order of the day.

Hunger is the great prerequisite to going deeper. Matthew 5:3 (NLT) “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,.. Translation: blessed are those who realize their spiritual poverty. Matthew 5:6 (NLT) God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (righteousness), for they will be satisfied. The consequence, the WAY RESTORED.

Diagram #4 This is the life in “HIM”. The walk in the Spirit - Romans 8.

FIRST: Sonship - What we are in Christ. Galatians 4:6-7 (NKJV) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 1 John 3:2 (KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God,

SECOND: Heirship - What we have in Christ. Galatians 4:7 (KJV) ⁷ ...then an heir of God through Christ. Romans 8:17 (KJV) ¹⁷ ...then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

THIRD: Discipleship - What we must be in Christ. Luke 9:23 (KJV) ...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Philippians 3:10 (NLT)  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, Matthew 11:29 (NKJV) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God..

FOURTH: Throneship - What we must do in Christ. Ephesians 2:6 (ESV) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

The Eternal Plan of God # 4

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Eternal Plan of God # 4

We have witnessed the break down and failure of the first Adam when he stumbled at the “test” tree and plunged the entire race into darkness. We have furthered observed the God of Heaven set in place a Plan of Redemption.

God has wonderfully created a for those who believe Steps back the WAY and to Father’s House. (Refer to our diagram. Click on chart to expand - click on X to close).

Regeneration: Ephesians 2:1 (NKJV)  And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

• Titus 3:5 (NKJV) ...according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

• 1 Peter 2:2 (NKJV)  as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,

It was a happy day...when he gave us our new lives through the truth of his Word, and we became, as it were, the first children in his new family. The Heavenly Father made us sons of God (babes) receiving His Life. You’ll note the tangent of salvation is a completely different line of thought or action is pride:

Healing: Physical healing is Christ’s gift to our flesh. It is NOT the perfection of grace. Healing is for the spread of the Gospel.

• James 5:14-16 (TLB)  14 Is anyone sick? He should call for the elders of the church and they should pray over him and pour a little oil upon him, calling on the Lord to heal him. 15 And their prayer, if offered in faith, will heal him, for the Lord will make him well; and if his sickness was caused by some sin, the Lord will forgive him. 16 Admit your faults to one another and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous man has great power and wonderful results. The tangent of healing is to be obsessed by temporal benefits.

Holy Spirit Baptism: We receive His power to do His works -

We receive His power to do His works according to Luke’s message in  Acts 1:8 (TLB) But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power to testify about me with great effect, to the people in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, about my death and resurrection." 



The experience of the Baptism in the the Holy Spirit with speaking in tongues as the Spirit gives the ability enables the believer to do God’s work. Acts 2:4, 38-39 (ESV) 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. 38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 

 

Jesus gives clear directions for His followers. His works must be accomplished in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the teacher  and the Bible is His class room. He has come to reveal Christ, to give spiritual knowledge. The Baptism brings the fullness of Christ, living His life, doing His works and having His Spirit. John 14:26 (ESV) But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. Mark 16:15-18 (ESV) 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” The tangent of the Baptism is -- power.



The Gifts of the Spirit: The Gifts are necessary for supernatural ministry. The Gifts are necessary for a healthy “body” i.e. the church. 1 Corinthians 12:4, 7-11 (ESV) 4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; ...7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. (Check out I Cor 12:12-27 regarding the “Body”).


Body, Soul and Spirit: # 4

The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a Plumbline, Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

Body, Soul and Spirit: # 4

"Except ye ... become as little children." (Matthew 18:3t)

The Lord Jesus teaches that moral progress must start from a point of moral innocence, and is consequently only possible to a man when he has been born again. A child's life is implicit, not explicit. To become "as little children" means to receive a new heredity, a totally new nature, the essence of which is simplicity and confidence towards God. In order to develop the moral life innocence must be transformed into virtue by a series of deliberate choices in which the present pleasure is sacrificed for the ultimate joy of being good. This aspect of truth is familiar in all Paul's Epistles, i.e. that the natural has to be transformed into the spiritual by willing obedience to the word and will of God. Romans 12:2 (ESV) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

("... be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind:") and Ephesians 4:23 ("be renewed in the spirit of your mind") apply directly to the moral life of those who have been supernaturally saved by the grace of God, those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells and is at work. To renew means to transform to new life. These passages make it clear that we can be renewed in our mind when we choose. We have no choice about being born into this world, but to be born again, if we will but come to Jesus and receive His Spirit, is within our own power. This is true all along in the Christian life, you can be renewed in the spirit of your mind when you choose, you can revive your mind on any line you like by sheer force of will. Always remember that Jesus Christ's statements force an issue of will and conscience first, and only as we obey is there the understanding with the mind (see John 7:17). The challenge to the will comes in the matter of study, as long as you remain in the "stodge" state there is no mental progress-"I am overwhelmed by the tremendous amount there is to know and it's no use my going on." If you will forge through that stage you will suddenly turn a corner where everything that was difficult and perplexing becomes as clear as a lightning flash, but it all depends on whether you will forge ahead. When people say, "Preach us the simple Gospel," what they mean is, "Preach us the thing we have always heard, the thing that keeps us sound asleep, we don't want to see things differently"; then the sooner the Spirit of God sends a thrust through their stagnant minds the better. Continual renewal of mind is the only healthy state for a Christian. Beware of the ban of finality about your present views¹.

There are THREE things God will not do for you! (1) He will not renew your mind. (2) He will not feed your spiritual man. (3) He will not crucify your flesh. Romans 8:5 teaches us "Do mind the things of the Spirit." We are the only solution to this command. The believer is to study, read and embrace the Word of God. In so doing he'll be renewing the mind. The spiritual man is not fed by watching TV, movies, or video's. The spiritual man is fed by and through the eternal Word of God, the Bread of Life, being ingested by the believer on a daily and regular basis. God will not do this for you! Finally, the believer must realize he is responsible for putting to DEATH or CRUCIFING the desires of his own flesh. Paul declares this to be a daily occurrence. 1 Corinthians 15:31 (NASB) I affirm, brethren...in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. See the Dean Diagram. 1.

¹Chambers, O. (1996). Biblical ethics. Hants UK: Marshall, Morgan & Scott. I

Body, Soul and Spirit # 3

The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a Plumbline, Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

Body, Soul and Spirit # 3

The State of the Mind at Conversion

The Carnal Believer: 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 (NKJV) 1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. 2 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; 3 for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal andbehaving like mere men?

Here the Apostle divides all Christians into two classes: the spiritual and the fleshly or carnal. The spiritual Christians are not at all extraordinary; they are simply normal. It is the fleshly who are out of the ordinary, because they are abnormal. Those at Corinth were indeed Christians, but they were fleshly, not spiritual. Three times in this chapter Paul declares they were men of the flesh. Through the wisdom given him by the Holy Spirit the Apostle was made to realize that he first must identify them before he could offer them the message they needed. .

Biblical regeneration is a birth by which the innermost part of man's being, the deeply hidden spirit, is renewed and indwelt by the Spirit of God. It requires time for the power of this new life to reach the outside: that is, to be extended from the center to the circumference. Hence we cannot expect to find the strength of "the young men" nor the experience of "the fathers" manifested in the life of a child in Christ. Although a newly born believer may proceed faith- fully, loving the Lord best and distinguishing himself in zeal, he still needs time for opportunities to know more of the wickedness of sin and self and occasions to know more of the will of God and the way of the spirit. However much he may love the Lord or love the truth, this new believer still walks in the realm of feelings and thoughts, not yet having been tested and refined by fire. A newly born Christian cannot help being fleshly. Though filled with the Holy Spirit, he nevertheless does not know the flesh. How can one be liberated from the works of the flesh if he does not recognize that such works spring from the flesh? In assessing their actual condition, therefore, newly born babes are generally of the flesh.

The Bible does not expect new Christians to be spiritual instantaneously; if they should remain as babes after many years, however, then their situation is indeed most pitiful. Paul himself points out to the Corinthians that he had treated them as men of the flesh earlier because they were new born babes in Christ, and that by now-at the moment of his writing them-they certainly should be growing into manhood. They had instead frittered away their lives, remained as babes, and were thus still fleshly. It does not necessitate as much time as we think today for one to be transformed from the fleshly into the spiritual.

·      I love how the Message puts Paul’s remarks in Romans 8:5 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them—living and breathing God!  The New King James Version says, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.”  

The carnal mind of the believer at his new birth is neutral, it’s empty, purged and cleansed of the world influence. However, the new believer must adjust the inflow of information into his mind. So much goes into our minds that is not of God and therefore detrimental to the spiritual life.  Many believers spend too much time feeding the neutral (cleansed) mind on the things of the world, this contaminates it an causes it to go negative and become carnal. The carnal mind is offended by the Word of God. Hear what Paul says in

·      Romans 8:6-7 (NKJV) 6 For to be carnally minded is death…7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.

·      Galatians 5:17 (KJV) For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

·      1 Corinthians 2:9 (KJV) But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

The believer needs a renewed mind. We’ll discuss that next time.

Body, Soul and Spirit # 2

The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a Plumbline, Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

Body, Soul and Spirit # 2

RESPECTIVE FUNCTIONS OF SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY

Diagram of Man

It is through the corporal body that man comes into contact with the material world. Hence we may label the body as that trap which gives us world-consciousness. The soul comprises the intellect which aids us in the present state of existence and the emotions which proceed from the senses. Since the soul belongs to man's own self and reveals his personality, it is termed the part of self-consciousness. The spirit is that part by which we commune with God and by which alone we are able to apprehend and worship Him. Because it tells us of our relationship with God, the spirit is called the element of God-consciousness. God dwells in the spirit, self dwells in the soul, while senses dwell in the body. As we have mentioned already, the soul is the meeting-point of spirit and body, for there they are merged. By his spirit man holds intercourse with the spiritual world and with the Spirit of God, both receiving and expressing the power and life of the spiritual realm. Through his body man is in contact with the outside sensuous world, affecting it and being affected by it. The soul stands between these two worlds, yet belongs to both. It is linked with the spiritual world through the spirit and with the material world through the body. It also possesses the power of free will, hence is able to choose from among its environments. The spirit cannot act directly upon the body. It needs a medium, and that medium is the soul produced by the touching of the spirit with the body. The soul therefore stands between the spirit and the body, binding these two together. The spirit can subdue the body through the medium of the soul, so that it will obey God; likewise the body through the soul can draw the spirit into loving the world.

Of these three elements the spirit is the noblest for it joins with God. The body is the lowest for it contacts with matter. The soul lying between them joins the two together and also takes their character to be its own. The soul makes it possible for the spirit and the body to communicate and to cooperate. The work of the soul is to keep these two in their proper order so that they may not lose their right relationship-namely, that the lowest, the body, may be subjected to the spirit, and that the highest, the spirit, may govern the body through the soul. Man's prime factor is definitely the soul. It looks to the spirit to give what the latter has received from the Holy Spirit in order that the soul, after it has been perfected, may transmit what it has obtained to the body; then the body too may share in the perfection of the Holy Spirit and so become a spiritual body.

The spirit is the noblest part of man and occupies the innermost area of his being. The body is the lowest and takes the outermost place. Between these two dwells the soul, serving as their medium. The body is the outer shelter of the soul, while the soul is the outer sheath of the spirit. The spirit transmits its thought to the soul and the soul exercises the body to obey the spirit's order. This is the meaning of the soul as the medium. Before the fall of man the spirit con- trolled the whole being through the soul.

The power of the soul is most substantial, since the spirit and the body are merged there and make it the site of man's personality and influence. Before man committed sin the power of the soul was completely under the dominion of the spirit. Its strength was therefore the spirit's strength. The spirit cannot itself act upon the body; it can only do so through the medium of the soul. This we can see in Luke 1.46-47: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour" (Darby).

·      Ephesians 5:25-27 (NKJV) 25 …Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

The Lord said to me…”I will test my people with a Plumbline, Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

SPIRIT, SOUL AND BODY # 1

The Infallible Word of God

THE ORDINARY CONCEPT of the constitution of human beings is dualistic-soul and body. According to this concept soul is the invisible inner spiritual part, while body is the visible outer corporal part. Though there is some truth to this, it is nevertheless inaccurate. Such an opinion comes from fallen man not from God; apart from God's revelation, no concept is dependable. That the body is man's outward sheath is undoubtedly correct, but the Bible never confuses spirit and soul as though they are the same. Not only are they different in terms; their very natures differ from each other. The Word of God does not divide man into the two parts of soul and body. It treats man, rather, as tripartite-spirit, soul and body. 1 Thessalonians 5.23 reads: "May the God of peace himself sanctify you wholly; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." This verse precisely shows that the whole man is divided into three parts.

BODY:

The amazing human body consisting of numerous systems; cardiovascular, digestive, immune and lymphatic, male and female reproductive, muscular, nervous, respiratory and skeletal systems. Add to these fleshly desires and appetite,

SOUL:

This is where our personality or self resides. It further houses our mind or intellect. Our emotions, sensibility and affections likewise abide in man’s soul. The soul is the center for man’s will and the power of choice, As a Pentecostal believer I believe in the soul's existence, Like, Calvin, many believe in the immortality of the soul and its conscious existence after death.

SPIRIT:

The word “spirit” when used in the Scriptures has several meanings. Whenever the word “Spirit” appears used with a capital letter, it has but one meaning. It is the name of the third Person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit of God. The word “spirit” spelled with a small letter may have one of several different meanings. It can have direct reference to the spirit of man which is as much a part of the tripartite nature of man as the Spirit of the living God is a Person of the Holy Trinity. Or it can indicate an evil spirit such as any agent of the Devil. We will confine ourselves here to the Biblical usage of the word only as it relates to the spirit of man, one of the three constituent parts of his being. The natural man has a spirit even though it is unrelated to God.

Here are some proof texts;

·      Job 32:8 “There is a spirit in man.”:

·      Ecc 3:21; 11:5; 12:7 “The spirit shall return unto God”: 

·      James 2:26 “The body without the spirit is dead”.:

·      Acts 7:59 “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.”:

·      1 Cor 2:11 “The spirit of man which is in him.”;

·      Zech 12:1 “The Lord…formeth the spirit of man within him”.

The Christian doctrine of immortality cannot be understood apart from the right conception of the tripartite nature of men. Many think that man is a physical being only. There is a great danger of any man thinking thus of himself. In his desire to satisfy the needs of the body there is the tendency on man’s part to lose sight of the fact that he is immortal. There have been persons who have lived all of their lives either in ignorance or willful neglect of a life after death, but upon their death-bed they suddenly realized that they were more than physical beings.

·      Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV) For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

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The Eternal Plan of God # 5

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Eternal Plan of God # 5

We have witnessed the break down and failure of the first Adam when he stumbled at the “test” tree and plunged the entire race into darkness. We have furthered observed the God of Heaven set in place a Plan of Redemption.

God has wonderfully created a for those who believe Steps back the WAY and to Father’s House. (Refer to our diagram. 

God's Eternal Plan

Click on chart to expand - click on X to close).

We shared the first four steps back to the “Way” to Father’s House; (1) Regeneration; (2) Healing; (3) Holy Spirit Baptism; (4) the Spiritual Gifts. These steps bring us to the next experience. The Eternal Plan of God # 5 is what we’ll call the Deeper Life or the Christ Life. This is the process which brings the believer to “Sonship” with knowledge.This revelation is in the Word The ultimate in spiritual life is (1) knowing God who is a Spirit. John 4:23-24 (NLT) 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” The Heavenly Father is looking for and seeking  believers who will worship Him in spirit and truth. Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:21 (TLB) Some of these people have missed the most important thing in life—they don’t know God. May God’s mercy be upon you.  (2) Understanding the Father’s Eternal Plan.  Paul again gives LIGHT regarding God’s Plan  in his epistle to the Rome, Romans 8:28-29 (ESV) 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. It saddens me to see in our world today there is little difference between nonbelievers and so-called-believers. What does that mean? Not many believers are pursuing the “Deeper Life” or what I prefer is the “Christ-Life.” Modern Christianity requires a minimum of consecration and appeals mainly to the flesh nature rather than the spiritual man. With earthly many are playing on the “steps”. The Deeper Life or Christ-Life is a new move of God with an OLD message. The message is the Cross and the crucified life. Spiritual benefits and NOT the temporal benefits are the order of the day.

Hunger is the great prerequisite to going deeper. Matthew 5:3 (NLT) “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,.. Translation: blessed are those who realize their spiritual poverty. Matthew 5:6 (NLT) God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice (righteousness), for they will be satisfied. The consequence, the WAY RESTORED.

Diagram #4 This is the life in “HIM”. The walk in the Spirit - Romans 8.

FIRST: Sonship - What we are in Christ. Galatians 4:6-7 (NKJV) 6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!" 7 Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 1 John 3:2 (KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God,

SECOND: Heirship - What we have in Christ. Galatians 4:7 (KJV) 7 ...then an heir of God through Christ. Romans 8:17 (KJV) 17 ...then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

THIRD: Discipleship - What we must be in Christ. Luke 9:23 (KJV) ...If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Philippians 3:10 (NLT)  I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, Matthew 11:29 (NKJV) Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. James 4:7 (NIV) Submit yourselves, then, to God..

FOURTH: Throneship - What we must do in Christ. Ephesians 2:6 (ESV) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, Matthew 7:21 (NKJV) "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 


The Eternal Plan of God # 3

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB) 

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ. 

The Eternal Plan of God # 3

The Blue Print of God's Plan

 When we understand God’s eternal plan then questions like so many ask will be understood; (1) Who is God? (2) What is He doing? (3) Why am I here? (4) Where am I going? (5) How can I live to please God? 

God has a plan, purpose and future for every living being. You might be asking, how can I know this is a fact? The plan of God can be found His “Love letter” to the world. 

The Apostle Paul has insight into this proposition look at Romans 8:28-30 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory. 

Ephesians 3:14, 21 (TLB) 14 When I think of the wisdom and scope of his plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father ....21 May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ. 
 

God is good! Like Paul, I respect His wisdom and the scope of His PLAN. He looked beyond all of our faults and worked out a marvelous solution to our great needs. 2 Timothy 1:9-10 (TLB) 9 It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began—to show his love and kindness to us through Christ. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ, who broke the power of death and showed us the way of everlasting life through trusting him. 

 Do you realize that God only dealt with two men in His Word. Romans 5:12-21 (TLB) 12 When Adam sinned,...the entire human race was declared guilty...His sin spread death throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die, for all sinned. What a contrast between Adam and Christ who was yet to come!...For this one man, Adam, brought death to many through his sin...But this one man, Jesus Christ, brought forgiveness to many through God’s mercy...Christ freely takes away many sins and gives glorious life instead...all who will take God’s gift of forgiveness and acquittal are kings of life because of this one man, Jesus Christ...And sin ruled over all men...but now God’s kindness rules instead...resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. The Apostle Paul beautifully portrays the Eternal Plan of God. Adam, the first man failed the garden test. Consequently, plunging the entire human race in darkness. In the fullness of time God sent His into the world to rescue the perishing. 1 Corinthians 15:45, (TLB) The Scriptures tell us that the first man, Adam, was given a natural, human body but Christ is more than that, for he was life-giving Spirit. Everything I owned was in Adam and he lost it all. Paul tells the Corinthians Death came into the world because of what one man (Adam) did...even so in this other man (Christ) we shall be made alive. 

• Romans 5:12 (TLB) When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. His sin spread death throughout all the world, so everything began to grow old and die, for all sinned.  

• 2 Corinthians 5:17 (TLB) When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun! 

God Has Only Dealt With Two Men - the 1st Adm  & Christ the 2nd Adam

The Eternal Plan of God # 2

The Lord said to me,.."I will test my people with a plumbline. Amos 7:8 (TLB)

The Plumbline is a blog to encourage the Body of Christ.

The Eternal Plan of God # 2

When we understand God’s eternal plan then questions like so many ask will be understood; (1) Who is God? (2) What is He doing?  (3) Why am I here?  (4) Where am I going? (5) How can I live to please God?God has a plan, purpose and future for every living being. You might be asking, how can I know this is a fact? The plan of God can be found His “Love letter” to the world.

The Plunge:

There are 4000 thousand years, five covenants and dispensations before the cross is PLANTED in the depths. Redemption is provided at Calvary. John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. Listen to the clear, pure, and real love of God is manifest for all to see in the most practical way. There were no bargain days there. This was His only Son, and what a tremendous price God paid to initiate His Plan. Calvary shows what God thinks of me. My life tells God what I think of Him. The eternal plan is the answer. God gave His Son to get some MORE sons just like Jesus. Romans 8:29 (TLB) For from the very beginning God decided that those who came to him...should become like his Son..,many brothers. (See the diagram by D. Dean)

The Apostle Paul has insight into this proposition look at Romans 8:28-30 (NLT) 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD. This passage greatly. encourages' God's 'children when we must endure suffering in this life. (1) GOd will bring good out of all affliction, trials, persecution and sufferIng; the good that God works is conforming us to the image of Christ and ultimately  bringing about our glorification (v. 29;  (2) This promise is limited to those who love God and have submitted to him through faith in Christ (cf Ex 20:6; Dt 7:9; Ps 37:17; lsa 56:4-7; 1 Co 2:9). (3) The "all things" do not include our sins and negligence  (Gal, 6:8); no one can excuse sins by maintaining that God. will work it for our good.

THOSE GOD FOREKNEW. “Foreknew" in this verse is equivalent to "foreloved" and is used in the sense of "to set loving regard on, " to choose to bestow love on from eternity (cf. Ex 2:2$.;;;Ps 1:6; Hos 13:5; Mt 7:23; 1Co 8:31; Gal 4:9; l}n 3:1). (1) Foreknowledge means that God purposed from eternity to love and redeem the human race through Christ (5:8; In 3:.16). The recipient "of God's foreknowledge or forelove is states in plural and refers to the church. That is, God's forelove is primarily for the corporate body of Christ (Eph 1:4; 2:4; 4:19) and includes individuals only as they identify themselves with corporate body through abiding faith in and in union Christ. (Jn 15:1-6) (2) The corporate body of Christ will attain to glorification. Individual believers will fall short of such glorification if they 'separate themselves from that foreloved body and fail to maintain their faith in Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:24, 25 & 30 (TLB) 24 But God has opened the eyes of those called to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, to see that Christ is the mighty power of God to save them; Christ himself is the center of God’s wise plan for their salvation. 25 This so-called "foolish" plan of God is far wiser than the wisest plan of the wisest man, and God in his weakness—Christ dying on the cross—is far stronger than any man. 30 For it is from God alone that you have your life through Christ Jesus. He showed us God’s plan of salvation; he was the one who made us acceptable to God; he made us pure and holy and gave himself to purchase our salvation.