A CALL TO INTIMACY


A CALL TO INTIMACY

                I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good, for I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body waging war against the law of my mind…”  Romans 7:21-23a

                When we are born again the Lord creates a new spirit within us and it is in this spirit that the Holy Spirit dwells. So our job, so to speak, in this Christian life is to learn to live by that spirit rather than by the flesh which is by nature at enmity with God. So if we want to fight the good fight, then we must understand that it is primarily a battle between our flesh and our spirit. To live by the spirit is life and to live by the flesh is death.

                Like all grand themes, one could almost say that the entire bible is set around the idea of a conflict between flesh and spirit. It is typified in the battle between David and Goliath.

                But there are many Christians that don’t know about this spirit that we have been given when we were born again and so the go on trying to please God in the strength of the flesh. It is mostly a losing battle.

                1Peter 3:4 tells us that the hidden man of the heart is incorruptible. The new spirit that Jesus places in us in eternal… and that is why it can be said that we have eternal life. That life is in His Son and His Son is in us. He will never leave us nor forsake us so He who has the Son has life. So when our spirit was quickened by the Holy Spirit we became new eternal creatures in Christ.          This is precisely why we must learn to live by this spirit rather than by the flesh. It is in living by the spirit that the soul is saved and the body as well. And if we walk in the Spirit, “the God of peace will sanctify us wholly and through God our whole spirit and soul and body may be preserved blameless unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thess. 5:23. This we need to understand and this is the message of the Tabernacle that we have missed for so long.

                2Cor 4:16 tells us that even though our outward man is perishing, the inward man is being renewed day by day. And verse 18 reminds us that the things that are seen are temporary, while the things that are not seen are eternal.

                John 4:24 tells us that God is Spirit and that those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. Now, some treat the spirit of man as a general principle like the spirit of America or of freedom or good sportsmanship. No, the new spirit that Jesus places in us when we are born again is a new spirit that is imperishable and eternal.

                Jesus is calling us to walk in the Spirit. We need to live by the Spirit. WE need to overcome by the Spirit. We need to come to a place in our lives where the unseen things are more real than the things that are seen and of those things that are seen, we must live with the reality that they were all made by God and upheld by God. In Him all things exist and are held together. All life is animated by Him.

                So it is within this spiritual framework that we truly enter into reality and become one with it through Jesus Christ. He created and sustains all things and so the closest we can get to ultimate reality is to live by His Spirit and abide in His Spirit and overcome by His Spirit.

                As promised by God, He is rebuilding the tabernacle of David in His people. It is a tabernacle without veils. It is a tabernacle in which the pure in heart may see God. It is a place of purification where the Bride of Christ is making herself ready for the marriage supper of the Lamb. Rev 19:7-9.

                In conjunction with this, there is another truth not widely known or taught in the church. The Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ are two different things. Only the Bride is ready and waiting for the Bridegroom. They went into the wedding feast, but the rest had to go and buy oil.

                This theme is also played throughout the Bible and we should study further to know how to be a part of the Bride. Only the Bride will be kept from the hour of testing that will come upon the whole world. It is a matter of intimacy… of trust… of faith and faithfulness. It is a matter of obedience and worship for without obedience, our worship is empty and without meaning.

                We are pressing in to the final days of earth’s history and we cannot afford to make careless and empty promises to people just so they will help pay for our church. We cannot hide our eyes from the truth any longer. Everyone is called to be a part of the Bride, but not many are chosen. Only a small number is willing to pay the price of intimacy. The price is free, but it costs everything. As in a true marriage…everything changes. Selah.


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