Thursday, April 15, 2010

In a glimpse of Calvary...

As redemption is ministered to the heart of a believer, Divine revelation from the Holy Spirit provides man with a glimpse of Calvary. Although Calvary is revealed to the human soul through the word of truth and prophetic utterances, Divine Revelation comes to man through the Holy Spirit’s witness.

1 John 5:10…He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself:

In a glimpse of Calvary God’s goodness moves the human soul enough to help man to escape the bondage of sin. Through a single glimpse of Calvary man can even be swayed enough by God to change the way he desires, acts, and behaves in sight of God. Godly repentance (which comes from the Holy Spirits conviction) becomes the unbeliever’s path to an acceptance of the redemptive work of Christ on a cross. Through the power of Calvary the Holy Spirit’s witness gives the believer a new desire… to stop sinning. This God given righteousness is a result of mans faith alone in the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Right living which follows belief, allows the Holy Spirit’s witness to teach, testify, and continue to make Christ known to the heart of a believer. This Divine revelation is also the basis of the forgiveness of sins and removal of guilt from the human conscience.

Heb 10:14-15…For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us:

From man’s first Glimpse of Calvary redemption becomes an actual experience in the life of a believer. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit enlightens a believer to more than forgiveness of sins received at the new birth. The old nature of man is now subject to the presence of the Holy Spirit's regenerating power, and no longer has liberty to go its own way. A newly received divine nature produced by the new birth now rules the life of a believer. This witness from the Holy Spirit (the new nature) takes possession of the inherited fallen nature (or the negative part of man) that often tries to rule in the life of a believer. Holiness of character rules the heart of a child of God. The new nature that comes through the power of Calvary severs the believer away from an existing ego that still tries to rule or rise up. Many believers in Christ struggle with this conflict from the old life and a Christ centered nature of a new life in the Spirit. Through the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, God reveals to a believer the Old nature must be destroyed in the believer’s new life in Christ. By Divine revelation another glimpse of Calvary becomes a path to a believer’s crucifixion of self which is… death to the Old Man.

• Death pertains to many personal things such as…ambitions, desires, affections, appetites, interests, habits, etc. These are certain things man pays attention to most in life.

Two crucifixions are recorded in the Bible. Of course the crucifixion of Christ is one crucifixion but the other is the unusual crucifixion of the still existing Old Man. The crucifixion of the Old man is when the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit gets the believer totally away from himself and places him into perfect harmony with God. This work of the Holy Spirit takes man away from…Self. How? The sacrifice of self is recognized through the sanctifying work that comes from God. Sanctification comes through power that comes from the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary.

Enlightenment to Calvary is testified to the heart of man by revelation from the Holy Spirit. Enlightenment to Calvary reveals more than forgiveness of sins. It shows man how to get rid of an inner struggle from self. This work of the Spirit’s witness reveals that man must die to all that he is. (Dying daily is not to be implied here as many believe). Man thus knows the crucifixion of self when he knows the crucifixion of Christ at Calvary.

The Spirit’s work is not limited only to placing a desire in the new convert’s heart to stop practicing sin. The sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit exposes and uproots the negative part of man’s nature which produces nothing good in the sight of God. Through this work of the Holy Spirit a believer also comes to a realization of his helplessness and inability that stems from the fallen nature. When man realizes that his trust should be totally placed in Christ for everything in life the Spirit gets him away from a self centered negative side. The Old life thus becomes dead and buried as the life of a child of God transforms into a living sacrifice acceptable to God. Enlightenment to the sacrifice of Christ at Calvary becomes the Spirit’s path… to the sacrifice of the Old Man.

Rom 12:1… I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Putting off the Old Man (like taking off a coat) allows the Fullness of the Holy Spirit to take over mans entire being, body, soul, and spirit. After man puts off all that he is, the inherited body of sin is destroyed through the Fullness of Sanctification which in another term is… the baptism with Holy Ghost and fire. No longer is an indwelling fallen nature of man a hindrance to the fullness of the indwelling Spirit. Man thus empties all of self and separates from conformity to the world; Christ’s baptism from heaven thus becomes a final transformation into the fullness of an entirely sanctified man. When the Old man is put off completely the heart of a believer is not only cleansed and purified but that life is renewed through the Spirits work of Entire Sanctification. Renewal which comes after sanctification is a totally committed life of faith and obedience in Christ without an inner struggle. This renewal only comes through a second glimpse of Calvary. Man’s second glimpse of Calvary has more meaning than the first. Unlike the first glimpse of Calvary which comes in the life of a sinner… the second glimpse of Calvary comes in the life of a believer through a transformation from worldly ties and renewal in the inner man.

Rom 12:2…And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Believing in Christ and a first glimpse of Calvary forgives the penitent from all past sins. A second Glimpse of Calvary gets the believer away from an inherited fallen nature that compels him to struggle against the work of God. Sanctification through the Spirit is God’s means of offering the power of redemption to every human soul. The power of the Holy Spirit’s witness helps any man regardless of his condition of heart, to recognize Calvary above all things.

The new birth at salvation of the soul (through the forgiveness of sins) is not a progressive work of the Holy Spirit…its instantaneous. The Baptism with the Holy Ghost (that destroys the Adamic nature) is not a progressive work of the Holy Spirit…its instantaneous. Dying totally to the old life “is” a progressive work. This progressive death to the old life is only revealed to the heart of a believer …through a believer’s glimpse of Christ at Calvary.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Belief or unbelief (Are you minding the Spirit?) Pt.2

It’s important to note that mans faith can decrease. Mans faith can fail. Man can even believe in vain. Unbelief causes men to draw back from God. Unbelief allows man to fall back into sin. All these statements indicate that a man who once believed “can lose faith”. By losing faith man can thus separate himself from a union made with the person of Christ. The Eternal Mercy of a living Christ extended to the heart of believer is likewise separated from. Then, the wrath of God comes back upon these children of disobedience because they neglect the importance and greatness of Salvation to the human soul that comes through Christ.

• Heb 2:2-3…For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

• Eph 2:2-3…Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.


Men weave in and out of Christ through contempt or consent which are acts of the human will. Why? Belief or unbelief is based on the action of man. Contempt or consent of the human will determines the stand of any man’s belief. An unbeliever is an unholy man in the eyes of God. A believer is a holy man in the eyes of God. An unbeliever has an impure heart. A believer in Christ has a pure heart. When God looks upon the heart of man He sees either the believer or an unbeliever; or a clean heart or an unclean heart. The will of a believer is obedient to Christ. The will of an unbeliever is disobedient to Christ. The human will can either believe in Christ or disbelieve Christ. No man can have two states of being at the same time. Here’s what the Bible says about unbelievers.

• Rev 21:8…But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone

Some denominations claim a believer can never lose his Salvation. The Bible does however say that man can depart from his faith.

• 1 Tim 4:1…that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

The Bible goes on to say without faith it’s impossible to please God. Is not unbelief the opposite of faith? So if faithful men please God would not unfaithful men displease him?

• Heb 11:6…But without faith it is impossible to please him:

The Bible indicates that men can fall away from enlightenment of Salvation.

• Heb 6:4-6…For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

It only takes belief in Christ to receive and to stand in Eternal Salvation. Why? Belief is consent of the human will to Christ. It only takes unbelief to depart from Grace. Why? Unbelief is contempt of the human will against Christ. Is your will controlled by the Holy Spirit? Are you minding the Spirit of God? That is why it’s so important to know where you stand with Christ every minute, every hour, every day. The Apostle Paul encouraged all believers to keep the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ fresh in their memory at all times. By doing so man would never believe in vain; or decrease in faith to the point of unbelief.

• 1 Cor 15:1-4…Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

May the Lord bless you richly in consciousness and obedience to Christ. We love you all!