Session
# 5
Not I But Christ
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
q Christ as being crucified.
1Co
2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Christianity is About a Substitution of One Life for
Another
Gal6:15 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth(inward strength and force, to have strength to overcome
health, ability, capacity) any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
·
Only Christ
being formed and birthed in us is of any capacity or ability for us to overcome
and get the victory.
Ga 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in
birth again until Christ be
formed in you,(as a baby being formed in the womb)
Gal2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
q
The
believers’ responsibility is so simple yet so hard; He must become so dead to
himself as to allow some one else within him to live a totally separate life
from his, mainly that of the Lord.
q
It is an
absolute transference of lives.
q
The
believers’ role is to be an avenue for this other life to be manifested! If we are full of ourselves, our plans, and
agendas we will not only snuff out Christ life within us; we will be unable to
discern it!
Romans
6:6 Knowing this, that our
old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Literally our sinful nature has become useless, powerless, and has being rendered permanently unemployed from its old masters Satan and the flesh. It has been dealt a mortal blow by our Lord. As we walk with Christ we will find ourselves sinning less and less. Hallelujah!
·
We
died in Christ. A dead
man cannot sin! Hallelujah!
·
We
must experience this death for our selves
Romans
6:7 For he that is dead is freed from sin.
We have died with Christ! Sin however is not dead to us! We still are very much tempted by it. A dead man however cannot respond to sin. By the power of God we progressively and
obediently become unresponsive to sin.
Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my
hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness,( As Christ is
magnified and made great in his life, the power of God within Paul brings much
freedom to him. Paul can live out the
gospel in confidence, candor, fearlessness and
honesty, unhindered in every way.) as always, so now
also Christ shall be
magnified in my body), whether it be by life, or by death.
·
The apostle Paul’s desire was to take his life and use
it as a magnifying glass that would make Jesus Christ great. His expectation is one of stretching out his
head to be able to anxiously observe this process becoming a reality in his
life.
We Don’t Need Blessings, We Need the Revelation of
Christ the Source of All Blessings
Eph
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Col 2:15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
·
In
the revelation of the person of Jesus Christ we experience total victory over
the devil
Joh
14:30 Hereafter I will not talk much with
you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.
1Jo
3:8 He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he
might destroy the works of the devil.
1Jo
5:5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that
believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
Gal 6:14 But God forbid (May
it never happen to me) that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom
the world is
crucified unto me, ( The effect of
the world on Paul is nothing; it is dead to Him. It stands crucified to him, and its effects on Paul will never
change, they are permanent. It is a
past action with permanent results. This
is the meaning of the perfect tense in the which this verb is found.)
and I unto the world.
In the Revelation of Christ We have an Absolute Victory Against the Flesh
Ga 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Ro
8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me
free from the law
of sin and death. The revelation of the person of Christ Jesus brings forth has
broken the bondage of sin
Ro
10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness
to every one that believeth. The revelation of the person of Christ Jesus will perfectly work
in us all of the righteous deeds of God
2Co
5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. The revelation of Jesus Christ sets us
free from all of the old creation.
The Revelation of the Person of Jesus Christ is the Source of all Spiritual Gifts
1Co
1:6 Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in
you:
1Co
1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: The revelation of the person of Christ
Jesus is the source of all spiritual gifts
Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See
thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy
Col
1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness
dwell;
In
the revelation of Christ dwells all of the fullness of God.
Col
2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily.
Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power: The revelation of the person of Christ Jesus makes us complete in all
that God has for us, and in our deliverance and freedom.
Eph
1:21 Far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this
world, but also in that which is to come:
22 And hath put all things under his feet, and
gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Col
3:11 Where there is neither Greek nor
Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. The
revelation of the person of Christ Jesus fills each of us with all that Christ
is and has for us in all aspects of our lives.
Eph 1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The Revelation of the Person of Christ is the Power of God and our Redemption and our Sanctification
1Co
1:24 But unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
·
The
revelation of Christ is our freedom from sin- redemption
·
The
revelation of Christ is our purification- sanctification
·
The Revelation
of the Person of Christ Reveals the Will of God
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.
The Revelation
of the Person of Christ is our Healing
Mt 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. {wounded: or,
Session # 6
Hindrances to the Revelation of Christ
Not Being a Disciple of Jesus
Matt 10:37 He that loveth father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
(To have real weight or clout with Jesus. The word for love in this scripture is
affection for Jesus above that of anything else. Having a greater affection for anything in this life makes a
believer unfit and unprepared to follow Jesus.
He is unable to adequately respond to the life and the call of
Jesus. There will be a lack of balance
between the believer and Jesus himself.
He will not deserve Jesus.)
Mat 10:39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake
shall find it. He that comes upon hits upon, and holds on to his own selfish life for
his selfish gain, shall bring himself to ruin, destruction, uselessness and
misery through his corrupted self. He
that ruins, destroys, and wastes away his sinful existence for the sake of the
Lord shall discover, recognize, acquire and procure real life from the Lord for
himself.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow
me.
·
If any man
or woman wishes to come after Jesus then he or she are commanded by Jesus to lose all connection with themselves and any interests
outside of the Christ.
·
We observe
that Jesus commands His disciples to “Follow Him” in the above
scripture. In actuality the word
“follow” is defined as a union in traveling the same road. It is a oneness with the pattern of Jesus’
life, His ministry, and even of His death, if necessary.
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow
me.
Secondly, is the concept of “denial”. This is our “once and for all confession”
that we have no connection with ourselves and our interests outside of those of
Christ.
Luke 14:33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh > not all that he hath, he cannot be my
disciple.
·
If we are
not separated and set apart from all that we have in our hearts for the sake of
Christ, we will not have the dunamis to be a learner of Jesus. We must take leave of, or bid farewell
renounce an all that is not the Lord.
·
Forsaking is
the act of our biding farewell to, and renouncing all that will not glorify
God. Next, please turn your attention
to the three scriptures below. If you
notice, I highlighted the word “cannot”,. The root of this word is the word “dunamis”. We all know that dunamis is the dynamite
power of God, that we as believers seek to obtain. In addition dunamis is an enabling power. God’s dunamis enables the casting out of
demons and the operation of spiritual gifts.
These scriptures inform us that the Christian who does not bear the
cross, forsake all that he has, and put his family and his life behind the
Lord, will not have the “dunamis “ or the enabling power to be a disciple of
our Lord. The inherent power that He
needs to change will not be there. The “cannot” is also constructed in a
fancy grammatical phrase called an “absolute negative”. Simply expressed it tells us that “under no
circumstances”, or, “Never”, or, “it is impossible” for the Christian who is
not willing to to do these things to ever be disciple of Jesus. Whew!!
Resting, Leaning or Depending Upon Anything Else than
the Revealed Person of Christ
1Co 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
q It is a person and not things
1Co
2:2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified.
Php 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Ro 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
A Lack of Full Obedience. God Works out Death and
Resurrection
Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
·
I persecute, pursue, and overtake, in hope that I can
grasp, seize, and make my own, all of what is contained in what Christ
originally grasped and seized me for.
Phillip 3:10
That I may know
him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
11 If
by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Ro 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead
Num 17:7 And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.
8 ¶ And it came
to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the
house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and
yielded almonds.
And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD
unto all the children of Israel: and they looked, and took every man his rod.
Romans 4:17 (As it
is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he
believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead,( who constantly brings to life the corpses)
and calleth those things
which be not as though they were. (Who is calling out loud by its name, and character, the
things yet not existing, as already existing.) .
·
God’s character is to time and time again bring us through trials
of weakness, impossibilities, handicaps, and difficulties, so as to cause us to
come to an end of our efforts, strength, and agendas.
·
God works in our
lives through our weaknesses, hopelessness, and failures. God knows how thoroughly corrupted by pride,
ego, and selfishness even our best Christian intentions and plans are.
·
If we are to work in the power and glory of
God everything in our lives must be purified.
Everything must be put to death and resurrected through the cross of
Christ. As we shall see, our God can
only raise up the dead. (Corpse
in the Greek). Abraham and Sarah were walking corpses at the time of God’s
visitation to them.
·
The Lord most
effectively moves when our agendas, our plans, and visions have become literal
corpses before Him. This is because
only the dead are freed from sin and the flesh. This is exactly what God needs to work. Remember, “God’s greatest manifestation of power transpired on
the event of His raising Christ up from the dead.”
·
As we yield, and yield, and yield even more, God will fill us
more, and more and more, until we can joyfully exclaim with the apostle Paul;
Ephesians 5:18 And be not
drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Lack of Travailing and Prevailing Prayer
Isa 66:8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.
Gen
32:24 ¶ And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the
breaking of the day. {breaking…: Heb. ascending of the morning}
25 And when he saw that he prevailed not
against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob’s
thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.
26
And
he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless
me.
1
King 18:42 So Ahab went up to eat and
to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down
upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.
44 And it came to pass at the seventh time,
that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s
hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee
down, that the rain stop thee not.
45
And
it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and
wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.
Lu 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Lack of Desire to Be Holy
Mt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Not Walking by Faith
Heb
4:5 And in this place again, If they
shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must
enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of
unbelief: {it
was: or, the gospel was}
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in
David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts.
Having a Love of the World
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.