LESSON 14

We are going to begin now to discuss a greater understanding of our Salvation than that which just deals with the old man, Adam. There is MUCH MORE to our Salvation than just a dead Adam (although most Christians seem to spend their whole life trying to get the old man to die!) Our Salvation is a LIVING CHRIST, but the "much more" is that this Christ is NOT living apart from me. We are now One New Man, and He has brought us into the relationship that HE HAS with The Father, so that we can know God as Father, not just as The Creator. (Father/son is much more than creator/creation.)

So there is an orderly progression to understanding our Salvation, and living in the greatness of it - NOW.

Galatians 2:20 - Not I (yes, we must reckon "me" dead) - but CHRIST LIVES. Now, the life I live in the flesh I live by the FAITH of THE SON of God.

Now we are not just dealing with the death of the first, but the life of the second, and we’re going to see this in the type of ABRAHAM AND ISAAC which is set forth in the scripture next (Genesis 12-22).

** Some words we will find in this understanding - faith, Father, Son, heir.

It is important to note that these terms were NOT spoken to Adam. (Adam was never intended to be the fulfillment of God’s Eternal Plan.)

In Abraham we see God calling out a people who are to come to a special relationship to Him. "Called" is another word to note. Now Abraham was the type, but this is all fulfilled in Christ for us AS our Salvation.

1 Peter 2:9-10 - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." This is speaking of The Church - "chosen", "called Out", not a people, but NOW the people of God. And this people OF God means those that have God AS their Father, those born from above - by the death, burial, resurrection of Christ. (Remember John 1:12,13 - who receive Him become the SONS OF GOD, born not of flesh, but of God).

** Our Salvation must be understood as a Father/son relationship.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - God is faithful, by whom ye were CALLED unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The word "called" there means "invited to participate in". In what? In the Life of The Son, into the relationship The Son has with The Father! (No MAN has seen God or knows The Father except The Son - John 1:18), and now by us being in Christ, we can come to know The Father AS The Son does! That’s GREAT SALVATION!

Isn’t that what Jesus prayed for - for us in John 17? "That they may be one, even as we are one. You in me, I in you."

We want to consider a few scriptures now to help us see this glorious relationship of Father/Son that is our Great Salvation.

Hebrews 2:9-10 - Jesus tasted death for every man to bring many sons unto glory. Glory is the recognition of God as Father. God’s glory is His Son!

(Note in vs. 16 the seed of Abraham is brought into view - For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham)

Romans 8:14-17 - we have received (not "are going to get") the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father...we are children of God. If children, then heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ (fellowship of The Son).

Vs. 28-29 - All things work towards this for THE CALLED, according to HIS purpose...conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren (all with His birth - born of God. When God raised Him from the dead, we were raised as One with Him. Now we are where He is, as He is - One with His Father.)

This is a greater understanding of Salvation than just being "born again", because in the Father-Son relationship we come to God’s PURPOSE.

But just remember that in a greater comprehension comes greater responsibility. Hebrews 12:5-11 - God deals with you as SONS. We may be chastened, but it is for our profit. Vs. 10 - that we might be partakers of HIS holiness - that’s Life. That’s GREAT SALVATION!

We are talking about our GREAT SALVATION IN CHRIST. It is "much more" than not going "to hell", but it is us being brought into relationship with God as our Father, and living in that union - through His Son, Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 - " God has NOT appointed us to wrath, but to OBTAIN SALVATION by our Lord Jesus Christ...that whether we wake or sleep (die), we should live together with Him."

** Now, God appointed the first man, Adam, to die (Hebrews 9:27), but He has appointed The New Creation to obtain Salvation (deliverance, preservation, safety). We as The New Creation are not to experience His anger to destruction, but unto Life.

** "together with Him" = as one with Him, because we have One Life. (Reference Ephesians 2:5,6 - we are quickened, raised, seated together with Him- as One.

** Our Salvation is NOT "me and Jesus", but me expressing His Life. This is a mystery. Only One is raised; but "I" am "in Him". We are brought into a union with Him as One: He is Head, we are His Body, manifesting His Life. This is what God has called us to.

1 Corinthians 1:9 - we were called unto the fellowship of His Son. Therefore we are The Body of The Son, who now can know The Father in that Father/Son relationship.

John 14:1-6 - By His death, burial and resurrection Jesus would enable us to share HIS RELATIONSHIP with His Father. He brings us into a RELATIONSHIP, not to a physical place. Vs. 3 - that where I am, (as I am in relation to My Father), ye may be ALSO (even as I AM.)

**This is the greater understanding we are considering of Great Salvation: not just Adam dead, but a people brought into this relationship with The Father in The Son, AS THE SON.

** This takes place because when we are born again we are born of The Seed of God (1 Peter 1:23). That Seed produces The Spirit of The Life of The Son. Galatians 4:6-7 - Because we are born of God, He sends THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON INTO OUR HEARTS! That’s Great Salvation! Now we know our Father, and are not a servant under the law, but a son - an heir of God through Christ.

**The Seed, the heir gets the inheritance. We will look at this more fully in Abraham and Isaac as the type, but now let’s just look at the relationship of Father/son in the scripture.

John 14:9 - he that hath seen me hath seen The Father. Vs. 10 - I speak not of myself, but The Father...he doeth the works. (Colossians 1:15 - He is the image (exactness) of the invisible God.)

John 5:18-23 - The Son can do nothing of himself...The Father loveth The Son and shows him all things...all men should honour The Son, even as they honour The Father.

Vs. 43 - I am come in my Father’s name (in His nature, character; He manifested The Father - not Himself) and ye receive me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

** Do we live and work in our own name (me, my - life, ministry), or in The Father’s - only giving glory to The Father? The Spirit of The Son in us should not allow that!

Since we now are heirs of God, we have inherited all that The Father has, but how many of us really know THE HEART of The Father, or do we just want what He has for "me"?

Luke 15:11-32 - The story of the prodigal son; but don’t forget there was also an "elder son". The Father gave the inheritance freely to the younger son, who squandered it on himself.

Vs. 19 - The son (not a sinner) repented and returned. "I am not worthy to be thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants."

Vs. 20-24 - The Father FORGIVES THE SON and restores him to his place - AS SON!! (Note: forgiveness and restoration is to one born of God - not to Adam).

**But look - vs. 25-32. The elder son was angry, and he didn’t have the heart of The Father. He was justified by his own actions - and never realized that his relationship with His Father was secure because of The Father’s love.

May we ask The Lord to open our eyes that we could truly see the glorious relationship with The Father that we have been brought into by His Son. Vs. 31 - WE ARE EVER WITH HIM, AND ALL THAT HE HAS IS OURS.

That’s GREAT SALVATION!

We are seeking to come to a greater comprehension of our Great Salvation. We are born again, we are a New Creation, but there is much more to our Salvation. GOD’S PURPOSE is not fully realized just in us being born again; it is the beginning. Jesus told Nicodemus (John 3:3) except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Now that we are born again, we are to continue to the fulness of that Salvation.

2 Timothy 1:9-10 - God has saved us, and called us with an HOLY CALLING, NOT according to our works, but according to HIS OWN PURPOSE and grace, which was given us IN CHRIST JESUS...who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

** This New Creation, who has been saved has a holy calling - not unto our own selves, but according to God’s own purpose, and we are to walk (live) worthy of this calling. (1 Thessalonians 2:12, Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10)

** It is in those who have been saved that God’s PURPOSE comes to be SEEN. Romans 8:28-29 - the called according to HIS PURPOSE...predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. (**call and purpose ends in sonship)

Ephesians 1:3-6 chosen us in him...having predestinated us unto the adoption (placing as a son) by Jesus Christ to Himself according to His will. (Ephesians 1 makes several references to His Will - that we should be to the praise of His glory.)

So God planned a New Creation in Christ that would show the world Who He is, because He brings them into a RELATIONSHIP WITH HIMSELF. **We are called into a RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AS OUR FATHER, receiving His very Life, to satisfy His Will and Purpose in the earth.

The type of this comprehension is found in Abraham and Isaac in the testimony, but let’s look at what Hebrews 11 says about this. Vs. 8 - by faith, Abraham, when he was CALLED TO GO OUT INTO a place which he should after receive for an INHERITANCE, OBEYED; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

This is the first aspect we want to look at: Called out, into a place he didn’t know, he obeyed.

Now Abraham experienced this in his fleshly life, but this process and these terms apply to us as we grow in our understanding of Salvation - The New Creation Man is called OUT and INTO.

1 Peter 2:9 - ye are a peculiar people; THAT ye should shew forth the praise of him (God’s purpose) who has called you OUT of darkness INTO HIS marvellous light. (Jesus is that light.)

Colossians 1:12-13 - Giving thanks to the Father, which hath made us able to be partakers of the INHERITANCE of the saints in light, Who hath delivered us FROM the power of darkness and hath translated us INTO the kingdom of his dear Son. (We are called unto the fellowship of The Son.) ** Note: "hath" - not is going to, but this hath been done - by The Finished Work of Christ.

**Abraham was called out from what he knew of God by earthly, religious knowledge, into a NEW relationship with God, where God would reveal Himself to Abraham. This is not so much a physical land, but a SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP he would develop with God in this new place. (For us - in Christ.)

But in order for Abraham to experience this, something else was required: by faith HE OBEYED.

**This New Creation Man, who is called unto God has the ability to hear God and obey by faith. The first creation, the old man is disobedient and CANNOT obey God. Ephesians 2:2-3 - spirit that works in the children of disobedience (Adam)...we were BY NATURE the children of wrath. Now in the second, New Creation, God requires obedience, and ENABLES US TO BE obedient, because this obedience was summed up and fulfilled in Christ when He became obedient unto death, even the death of The Cross. (Philippians 2:5-8) It is by The Obedient Son dying that the promises made unto Abraham were fulfilled in Christ, and it is by a greater comprehension of that work of The Cross that we partake of His inheritance of Life.

**Three terms to consider: CALLED OUT, INTO A PLACE, OBEYED.

This is how we experience our GREAT SALVATION.

LESSON 17

We are discussing our Great Salvation, and seeing that God had a PURPOSE in bringing forth a New Creation. That purpose is NOT "me going to heaven when I die", but that God would make Himself known through a people here on this earth. God’s purpose ultimately is realized in a people called "The Church" - the ekklesia, the "called out ones".

Ephesians 3:8-11 - The mystery was hid (in the Testimony, in God’s dealings before Christ), but NOW the church is to make known the manifest wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed IN CHRIST. And in The Church, "the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28), all things work together towards this purpose being made known.

**This was all hid until Christ came and died the death of The Cross. Now His Body, The Church, a people One with Him, are to make this known on the earth. Israel was a TYPE of this people in the Old Testament, through whom He would make Himself known in the earth.

And this people BEGAN with God calling Abram and making promises to him, and bringing forth a son to inherit these promises. **But we must understand that God’s plan was NOT fulfilled in Abraham and Isaac, but they only spoke of what Christ alone would fulfil. God called Abram and brought forth a people of his Seed, but this speaks of MUCH MORE than just the nation of Israel that would follow.

** Let’s settle this: God has chosen A PEOPLE IN CHRIST. The Jews were a type of a people chosen of God unto Himself, but the Jew after the flesh is not God’s plan. (See Romans 9-11; the Jew still has to be saved!) Through Abraham and Isaac, then through Israel (as the son) God showed what He would FULFIL only in Christ and The Church.

Galatians 3:6-9 - Abraham believed God, and they which are OF FAITH are the children of Abraham (not of flesh, but Jews and Gentiles who believe). Vs. 8 - God foresaw a people justified through faith - that is The Church. But how would He accomplish that? Not by the law (vs. 10-12) ** Vs. 13-15 - BY THE CROSS! By Christ being made a curse, we can receive the blessing of Abraham and the promise through FAITH. THE CROSS was always central to God’s plan.

**Vs. 16 - To Abraham and HIS SEED were the promises made. Not to SEEDS, as of many, but as of one; And to thy seed, which IS CHRIST! ** It is all summed up and fulfilled IN CHRIST!

But how are we (The Church) related to that? Vs. 29 - "If ye be Christ’s (born of Him, born from above, that Heavenly Seed), then are ye Abraham’s Seed, and HEIRS according to the promise." Vs. 26-28 we are sons by faith IN CHRIST; not of the first creation - One Seed - One in Christ.

In the type God called Abram OUT of his first earthly life, and the promises God made with him were unto HIS SEED. Don’t forget at that time Abraham didn’t have any children. (Note: their names changed to Abraham and Sarah when the promised son, Isaac was to be born.) God was taking Abram INTO a new, spiritual, heavenly relationship with Himself that required him to leave the first realm and come into the second - by faith and obedience.

Genesis 12:1-3 - God would REVEAL this place (relationship) to Abram - by God appearing to Abram. (**We are not going to a "better place", but seeing the Lord as He is in relationship to us). In this relationship "God will..." This is not us, but His work.

Vs. 7 - God promised all this to Abram’s seed, and it took many years before that promise came true and the seed was born.

God had to deal with Abram and change him before that son was born and Abram could really believe God; but all of God’s dealings with Abram were toward that Seed, and in light of that Seed. It ends in SONSHIP - the true Seed, the promised Seed, coming to be recognized and increased. And God’s dealing with us will be the same as we are learning Him this way. May we come to understand that Seed is Christ, and all the promises of God IN HIM are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God BY US (The Church). - 2Corinthians 1:20. We as The Church are partakers of that calling and heirs of the promise - that God may be glorified through us! That’s Our Great Salvation!

LESSON 18

We are looking at the type of Salvation that is seen in the Old Testament with Abraham and Isaac concerning The Seed. God then did IN TYPE what He would do IN FULFILLMENT in Christ, so we need to comprehend this relationship so we can experience this aspect of our Salvation. Galatians 3:29 - And if ye be Christ’s (born of Him), then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. **The Seed is the heir; the promises were made to the seed (vs. 16). But this is not seeds (many), but as OF ONE - Christ; and NOW to those who are of One - of Christ - born of THAT SEED. This is the incorruptible Seed (The Seed of God, The Word - Christ - 1 Peter 1:23), by whom we are born again (born from above). This is what the "story" of Abraham and Isaac is setting forth.

And as we are seeing, Christ fulfils the type, and is MUCH MORE than the type. It was over this issue of THE SEED that Jesus had trouble with the Jews of His day; they considered themselves the seed of Abraham (and they were NATURALLY), but they refused HIM, Who was the True Seed, to Whom the promises were made, and would be fulfilled in.

John 8 - Jesus is speaking to the Jews about the Father/Son relationship. Vs. 31-42 - We be Abraham’s seed! VS. 39 ** If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham. That is FAITH re: SEED. **Here’s the issue - vs. 53 - Are you greater than our Father Abraham? Vs. 56 - Your father Abraham rejoiced to see MY DAY...vs. 58 - Before Abraham was, I AM! HE IS MUCH MORE!! He dictated what God did with Abraham, He was what Abraham saw, and He fulfilled what was spoken of to Abraham!

So let’s look at this "day" that Abraham saw. This is LIGHT, an understanding OF FAITH that Abraham walked in. Abraham believed God, and it was accounted unto him for righteousness. (Gal. 3:6) Hebrews 11 tells us he looked for a city whose builder and maker was God, and he offered up Isaac his son, knowing that God would raise him up, because the promises of God were made to THAT SEED. There was a work of God with Abraham, and it was varied, but it was all in regard to THE SEED. And to those who are knowing the Lord in this way there will be a similar work. Note: Abraham was a vessel called to bring forth The Seed. This is fulfilled by Christ in The Church bringing forth One Life - The Son. We also see a continual type of The Cross - a taking away in Abraham, until he believes God for everything! ** If God doesn’t do it - it doesn’t get done!

Genesis 12 - NOTE: Abram and Sarai had different names UNTIL The Seed that God promised is to be born, (In Gen. 17 God changes their names: Abram now become Abraham, the father of a great multitude, and Sarai becomes Sarah, or Princess). This typifies a total change in nature. When The Seed comes, we are changed - now known as God would know us. It’s not ME giving ME a new name, but a people coming into the fulness of God’s purpose - and that changes ME! NOTE also - all things work together for good (God’s purpose) for the called. Things may seem to fail, but God uses even that for His use.

Genesis 12:1-3 - You must leave all of the first. In the place God will reveal to you, it is all "I will..." God’s purpose and work. Vs. 7 - Unto THY SEED will I give this land. God’s promise is to The Seed. (Vs. 4,5- Abram took Lot with him; maybe Abram thought he would be the seed?) Vs. 10-12 - In a time of famine Abram and Sarai go into Egypt (type of the world) and Abram puts The Seed in jeopardy. Vs. 12-13 - Abram wanted to preserve HIS OWN LIFE so he forsook his marriage relation. But God would not allow the mingling of The Seed of the world, and Abram and Sarai were sent out!

Genesis 13 - Abram and Lot prospered so the land would not hold them both. Lot chose his land and they separated. Vs. 14-17 - **AFTER Lot was separated (further work of The Cross), God told Abram to lift up his eyes and see the land, and talks of a GREATER SEED that is to come - that is not just numbers, but a different type.

Genesis 15 - Abram waits for the promise, but no seed comes. Vs. 2-6 - Will the steward in my house by the heir? God says NO: the seed and heir shall come out of your bowels, but (vs. 5) the seed shall be heavenly (as stars).

Genesis 16 - Abram and Sarai decide THEY will produce the heir: it will be out of Abram, but not the wife. This son is born of the Egyptian bondservant. He lives, but for 13 years (the number of rebellion) God didn’t deal with Abram.

Genesis 17:1-2 - God speaks again, appearing to Abram as Almighty God. NOW He changes their names, and IN HIS TIME, He will bring forth The Seed with whom He will establish His Covenant (vs. 4-8). He gives the sign of circumcision - cutting away (vs. 9-14). Vs. 15-19 - The Covenant is NOT with Ishmael, but God will establish His Covenant with The Seed He brings forth of the wife.

Genesis 21 - Two boys in the household, but ONLY ONE SON. He must be recognized as The Son, The Heir, so the first has to be put out. Vs. 10 - Cast out the bondwoman and HER SON, he shall not be heir with God’s Son. Galatians 4 tells us this is an allegory of two covenants: the one born after the flesh leads to bondage. The other born of the freewoman was by promise. The one of the flesh MUST be put out! Vs. 31 - and WE - in Christ, are NOT children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Galatians 5:1 - Stand fast - IN CHRIST - and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage - THAT SEED HAS MADE YOU FREE! That’s Great Salvation!

LESSON 19

We are continuing to consider THIS SEED to whom the promises of God were made in the Old Testament to Abraham. **God gave the inheritance to Abraham BY PROMISE, and we are seeing that promise is fulfilled by Christ and in Christ, for He is That Seed - Galatians 3:16.

So on our diagram of the types of Salvation we can put "PROMISE BY FAITH" with the type of Abraham and Isaac, the seed and the land. And later God gave The Law to Israel, so The Law applies to Israel. We want to see the order set out by God, and the relationship of this promise by faith, and The Law. This is relevant to us today: how do we receive from God - by faith or law?

Galatians 3:17-19a - The Law came AFTER the promise, but it could not make the promise of none effect. The inheritance is NOT by the Law (you don’t follow "rules" to get to heaven), but you believe God for His Seed - by faith.

Vs. 19 - The law was added UNTIL THE SEED should come to Whom the promise was made. That Seed is Christ. (Romans 10:7 - Christ is the END of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.) * God always planned it to be by FAITH.

Vs. 22-23 - Promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. Law was kept until the faith be revealed - in Christ.

** Let’s look now at this promise that was given to Abraham, and THE SIGN that God gave him. Remember with Abraham the promise was of a Seed, Isaac; but that was only a type of The True Seed - Christ, The Son of God.

Romans 4:1-5 - Abraham believed God. It was a work of GRACE - by faith.

Vs. 9-16 - Abraham was accounted righteous BY FAITH when he was in uncircumcision.

** Vs. 11 - He received THE SIGN of circumcision, a seal of righteousness of the faith he had...that he might be the father of all them that believe. NOTE: Circumcision was NOT given to Adam or Noah, but to Abram when God’s Seed was about to come forth (Genesis 17:9-14)

Vs. 13 - This promise to the seed was NOT by the law ...Vs. 16 - but of faith, that it might be by GRACE, and God’s grace is not dependent upon what I do, but upon who He is! To the end the promise might be sure to all the Seed.

So God’s promise of Christ, The Seed, is from His Grace, and we receive it by Faith. **Ephesians 2:8 - "for by GRACE are ye saved through faith; and that, not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

When Abraham believed God for His Seed, God gave him the sign of circumcision - the cutting away of the flesh (Gen. 17). Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised the same day, and then every male born in the house or brought into the house had to be circumcised. Newborns were circumcised on the 8^th day. This speaks of The New Creation Who as The Seed must bear IN HIS BODY the marks of this cutting away of the flesh. The uncircumcised soul shall be cut off from his people. **In this household you must bear the marks of the Covenant with God!

Circumcision of the foreskin to Abram was a sign of God’s Covenant WITH HIS PEOPLE in this type of Salvation shown in the Old Testament. This comes to fulfillment in Christ in His death, burial and resurrection - The Promised Son/Seed died.

But now, what does this circumcision mean to us? Remember the first is always in the flesh, earth realm; but the second is greater, in the heavenly realm. Now in Christ, circumcision is fulfilled in a much greater measure!

Romans 2:28-29 - not an outward circumcision, but a circumcision of the heart, in the spirit - MUCH MORE!

Colossians 2:11 - In Christ ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ - The Cross. **This is the sign we are to bear as His Seed.

2 Corinthians 4:10-12 - Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that (here’s the purpose) the life also of Jesus may be manifest.

You see, This Seed of promise was designed of God to fall into the ground and die, and when it did, it brings forth fruit - HIS LIFE!

We bear His death so His Life can be seen in us! That is His inheritance in the saints - GREAT SALVATION!

LESSON 20

We are continuing to look at our Great Salvation through the type set forth in the scripture in Abraham and Isaac concerning The Seed. This has been fulfilled in Christ as The Incorruptible Seed, and pertains to us because Galatians 3:29 says if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s Seed, and heirs according to the promise.

In our last lesson we saw that God gave the inheritance to Abraham by promise (before the Law), and that God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision (cutting away of flesh) for Abraham and his seed to establish His covenant. **Now every male in Abraham’s household had to be circumcised, but there was a difference when Ishmael and Isaac were circumcised. Ishmael was 13 years old (Gen. 17:25); 13 is the number of rebellion, and that boy was not the heir, and he had to be put out from the house. But Isaac was circumcised on the 8^th day (Gen.21:4); 8 is the number of new beginnings and this is the heir of promise, not the flesh son - he begins and lives in obedience (obedient even unto death!)

And we have seen that the circumcision in the flesh spoke of a greater, spiritual circumcision (not outward, but inwardly - in the heart and in the Spirit (Romans 2:28,29), and it is this circumcision that we, as Abraham’s Seed - IN CHRIST - are partakers of; we partake of HIS Death, HIS burial, HIS resurrection.

Philippians 3:3 - for we are THE CIRCUMCISION (who bear the sign of God’s covenant in their flesh), which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH. Now in Christ we live by Him, in His faith - Not I, but Christ!

**The problem in the Church today is we have too many "uncircumcised" believers who are running around claiming God’s promises and "their" inheritance from God. But God gave the sign of circumcision to The Seed, The Heir - no confidence in the flesh. We today, as the heirs are not required to undergo physical circumcision, but we have a greater circumcision (Colossians 2:11) - the circumcision made without hands (spiritual) in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ. HIS circumcision is THE OBEDIENT DEATH OF THE SON - and out from this death comes the increase of The Seed.

We’ll look now in the scripture at three instances of this greater circumcision - work of The Spirit, in a person or people - and let’s look at the result of this circumcision.

1. JACOB - He was the seed of Isaac; he was a twin, born second but he stole the birthright (he got the inheritance) from Esau, and he gets the blessing. Jacob lives on his own wits, away from the inheritance, and prospers, but eventually he goes back. (Genesis 25-35) On the way back, Jacob ("The supplanter") encountered a man WHO WRESTLED WITH HIM. Genesis 32:24-32 - At that point Jacob was touched and his thigh was put out of joint. HE BORE THAT MARK THE REST OF HIS LIFE! And God changed his name. Vs. 28 - No more Jacob, but Israel - a soldier of God with power before God, a prince with God. Genesis 35:10-15 - God gives the land promised to Israel - changed by God. Now Israel could rely on God’s promise, not the strength of his flesh.

2. JOSHUA - After Moses, God’s servant was dead, Joshua is raised up to lead the new generation into Canaan. The old generation of unbelief died in the wilderness, but a NEW generation will enter in. They pass over Jordan, and the first thing God tells Joshua to do is (Joshua 5:2-10) make SHARP KNIVES and circumcise again the children of Israel THE SECOND TIME. In the wilderness there was NO circumcision - but the NEW generation came into obedience and received the SIGN of God’s covenant with them. Then they were made whole, took the Passover, ate of the old corn of the land (manna ceased), then the Captain of the Lord’s Host appeared - then they could conquer Jericho!

3. SAUL - He was circumcised in the flesh and followed the law zealously, but Saul when he was struck down on the road to Damascus (Acts 9) was circumcised with that greater circumcision! Blind - dead - helpless; then raised by the Spirit. And his name was changed to Paul = little. This represents the New Creature = not I, but Christ who lives - in me! No confidence in the flesh.

The sign given to God’s Seed is the mark of death - a greater circumcision, and we too are called to bear that mark. We are to bear this continually, for God has never, and will never bestow His blessing on the flesh. As we bear His death, then His Life, The Life of The Seed will come forth in us! That’s a greater understanding of Our Great Salvation!

LESSON 21

We are speaking of an UNDERSTANDING of our Great Salvation that is shown in the scriptures with Abraham and Isaac. We see this is all towards THE SEED to whom the promise is made, and it is received BY FAITH. And Abraham’s faith is tested and culminated when God required him to sacrifice that Seed. **This is an obvious type of The Cross - the death of The Son, The Seed. And note - this is REQUIRED BY GOD. ** THE CROSS IS CENTRAL TO GOD’S PLAN!

- Abraham had FAITH = a belief, trust, understanding, ASSURANCE.

Hebrews 11:17-19 - Abraham had a knowledge of God that ultimately enabled him to offer up that Seed (in whom the promises were) because he KNEW that God WAS ABLE to raise him up, even from the dead!

** This was not "blind" faith, but this assurance came out of Abraham’s knowledge of God through his experiences with God that are set forth in the scripture. This is characteristic of those who are described in Hebrews 11; these lived BY faith and died IN faith (Hebrews 11:13), and these were types of what should be true of us.

There is something very interesting that the scriptures shows us regarding Abraham and God’s dealing with him. (Remember Abraham is a type of those called out, chosen of God, those who are to be The Church) ** GOD APPEARED TO ABRAHAM. You don’t see this phrase in God’s dealings with Adam or Noah: God "spoke" but He didn’t "appear" to them. And the word "appear" means ‘to reveal, to show self, to make one’s self known, and to look upon with wonder because THE LORD is making Himself known.’ It is not just seeing with the eyes, but UNDERSTANDING the nature of The One seen, and it takes a work of God revealing HIMSELF - as Who He is - to make you see. And when you see Him and understand Him as He is - you have FAITH - belief, assurance - a knowledge based on Who He is! (God was able...)

Genesis 12:7 - The Lord appeared unto Abram and said...unto the Lord who appeared unto him. **God desires to make Himself known to the called, according to His purpose. And we must know Him in order to fulfil His purpose. This is a relationship God has FOR HIS OWN - Father/Son, not in name only, but understanding the nature of God as our Father, so we will know what He wills, and why, so we can be obedient to Him, and please Him. That’s why He must be revealed in us! In God’s dealings with Abraham He continually and progressively revealed Himself in situations to Abraham, and with each revelation of God - as He is - Abraham’s faith grew - so that he finally could offer Isaac as the sacrifice - in total obedience to God - IN FAITH! (In Genesis 1, in creation it is God = Elohim, The Strong One; but when man comes into view God is shown as "Lord God" = Jehovah (Genesis 2:7). Now He is "The Self Existent One Who REVEALS HIMSELF", and we see this clearly with Abraham. Now He is not just The Creator, but He is personally involved with His own.)

Let’s see who Abraham came to know God to be:

Genesis 14:18-24 - "El Elyon" - Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth. Melchisedek is a type of Christ the High Priest. What happens to Abram? He gave Melchisedek of all the spoil and Abram wouldn’t take any of the spoil. Why? It all belongs to Him - The Most High, not man!

Genesis 15:1-8 - God begins to tell Abram, "I am...thy shield and thy exceeding great reward." Abram calls Him "LORD God" = Adonai = MASTER, and/or Husband; and Abram now is learning OBEDIENCE to God as his Master. Note: This is in regard to The Seed, the heir. Vs. 6 - And he BELIEVED in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. Vs. 7 - I am the Lord... Vs. 8 - LORD GOD, how shall I know? (** We should not tell Him "NO!" if we know Him as Lord! The knowledge of Him as Lord brings total obedience in us.)

Genesis 17:1-2 - The Lord appeared to Abram (after Ishmael was born, after 13 years of rebellion)...I AM The Almighty God = El Shaddai = The Breasted One, The Nourisher, The Strength Giver, The Satisfier = THE ALL SUFFICIENT ONE! NOW, WALK BEFORE Me and come to maturity (perfection). Now The Almighty God changes Abram’s name, gives the sign of circumcision, and promises the birth of Isaac, who God will establish His covenant with.

Genesis 21:33 - Abraham called on the name of The Lord, The Everlasting God = He is God over everlasting things! (Not of the earthly realm, but eternal.)

This all culminates in Genesis 22 when God tempted Abraham (vs. 2) to take his only son to offer as a burnt offering. ** Because of Abraham’s faith (knowledge, assurance) of God, he did - in obedience - and Vs. 14 - Abraham called that place Jehovah Jireh = GOD WILL SEE - In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. **Just as Abraham had God revealed to him, even so we must come to know Him. And as we do, we can live by His Faith. That’s Great Salvation!

LESSON 22

As we are considering our Great Salvation, may our hearts be stirred as the Apostle Paul’s - TO KNOW HIM (Philippians 3:10-14). To know HIM, and the power of HIS resurrection, and the fellowship of HIS sufferings, being made conformable to HIS death. And we are seeing that we must know Him in relation to HIS death on The Cross, and come to understand what He really did, and how that relates to us. (It’s not "my" death, but HIS death that matters.) NOTE: HIS - The Cross and the death, burial and resurrection is uniquely HIS. Others died on crosses, but only Jesus Christ died THE DEATH OF THE CROSS. And there are DEPTHS to this death that we must come to comprehend, and allow to be worked in us, if we are ever to truly know Him in the power of His Resurrection.

** Remember The Cross (Christ crucified) is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corin. 1:23-24), and is central to God’s plan of Salvation. Most Christians only vaguely understand that "Jesus died for my sins, and now I can go to heaven when I die", but they have never comprehended the greatness of His death, and therefore don’t know Him in the power of His resurrection. **The Cross - His death is the means of our Salvation, but His death has vast applications, and becomes greater in our continual knowing of Him.

We are going to apply HIS DEATH to the three types of Salvation in the Old Testament, and relate them scripturally to the word "except". EXCEPT = There is NO other way; this is necessary, it is a must. Each of the types (Adam, Abraham and Isaac, Israel); all MUST come to The Cross, but The Cross accomplishes a different WORK of Salvation to each of them.

1. TO ADAM - The Cross means ALL DEAD; when One died, all were made to be dead. Now: John 3:3 - EXCEPT a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Vs. 5 - EXCEPT a man be born of water and of The Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God. ** This is the only way!

- But, how can a man be born from above EXCEPT he die to his first birth, the natural, flesh, old? That’s why our first understanding of Salvation - by The Cross - has to be reckoning OURSELVES DEAD; planted in the likeness of HIS death (Romans 6). Now we are not an old creation "going to heaven", but are born again because Christ lives in us - A NEW CREATION! Romans 8:9-10 - If Christ be in you, the body is dead...but the Spirit is life...

Now as that New Creation in Christ there is a deeper work of The Cross, and we see this in the type regarding Abraham and Isaac.

2. To Isaac and The Seed - here THE SON must die! Not the son of the flesh, but The Son of Promise. And this is an OBEDIENT SON, doing the will of The Father. ** Here this death is not to bring The Son to His finish, but for INCREASE. John 12:24 - EXCEPT a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit - HIS SEED bringing forth HIS LIFE - in many, but they are all one - HIS INCREASE! (Look in Genesis 22:15-18 - Because you have not withheld thy son, I will multiply thy seed...because thou hast obeyed my voice.)

Now Jesus died on The Cross so that He could bless all the nations on the earth and give them His Life, but the greater comprehension is that THIS SEED has to fall into us - we are the land that He is to possess! And IN US He brings forth Himself - HIS FRUIT, HIS LIFE.

**The Seed as The Son dies for FRUITFULNESS, INCREASE - not of us, but of HIM! Death worketh in us, so His Life is manifest -( 2 Corinthians 4:10-12). This is the only way we can bring forth his Life - EXCEPT - no other way! We must know Him as That Seed dying in us, His New Creation.

*The Purpose of The New Creation is for The Seed to come forth in! Without The Seed the land would be barren - good for nothing!

3. To Israel - Israel speaks of the Corporate Body and is unto FULNESS, and here it is unto the manifestation of Life. The work and knowledge of The Cross here is unto resurrection, glory, life. THIS IS THE DEATH OF THE LAMB.

John 6:53-57 - EXCEPT ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth...hath eternal life...dwelleth in me, and I in him...even he shall live by me. ** This is living in the power of His resurrection, but it can not be done EXCEPT we continually partake of His death. ** Here He sheds THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB!

The greatness of His death produces our Great Salvation, and we must continually partake of it. This is our communion with Him. We use 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 as a form for our "communion services", but shouldn’t it be our way of life? Showing The Lord’s death until He appears (comes) - in us!

May we come to know Him in these "EXCEPT" scriptures; there is no other way!

We are considering the understanding of Christ and The Cross pertaining to The Seed. We who are The New Creation are born of that Seed, which is Christ, and we must come to experience what the death of The Cross means specifically to The Seed. To Adam, The Cross meant death to that man. And now to The Seed, the death is unto INCREASE. John 12:24 - Except the seed die, it abides alone, but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit (an increase of The Seed).

**This is where THE SON DIES; and it is a special work of The Cross here - and the purpose is INCREASE. (Note: God didn’t plan an increase of Adam, but of His Son.)

Look in the type in Genesis 22:1-5 - Abraham was told to take his son, HIS ONLY SON, whom he loved, and offer him for a BURNT OFFERING. It is this aspect of a burnt offering that we want to consider. Obviously Isaac is a type of Christ, the only son, beloved of The Father, but the offering was a special offering. Leviticus 1:2-4, 9 - a male without blemish, he shall offer it of HIS OWN VOLUNTARY WILL. **Christ DELIGHTED to do His Father’s Will! Even unto death! (Reference Hebrews 10:5-10) It is a SWEET SAVOUR unto the Lord! Isaac as the type offered HIMSELF to be sacrificed to please his father. He was OBEDIENT - even unto death. Jesus said regarding this seed: John 12:25-27 - He that loveth his (soulish) life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal...he that serves me, him will my Father honour. Vs. 27 - Would He be saved from The Cross? NO! For this cause came I unto this hour!

**The Son WILLINGLY offers Himself unto death to please The Father. At Jesus’ baptism - foreshadowing His death - The Father says: This is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased! Isaac knew his life was given to him by God, and he willingly offered it back to God. Do we know that? How do we have life?

* Now THE SPIRIT OF THAT SON dwells IN US, and will bring us to that same understanding. Philippians 2:5-8 - Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...OBEDIENT UNTO DEATH...even the death of The Cross. Romans 12:1-2 - We are (as His Seed, members of His Son) to present our bodies (our individual lives) as LIVING sacrifices...which is our reasonable service...be transformed...that ye may PROVE (we be a witness, manifestation) of the perfect will of God. That is HIS INCREASE - in us - His Fruit. Men are to know us by our fruit (His life that we bear) and glorify OUR FATHER which is in heaven. **THE SON glorifies The Father! Just as Isaac did, we have to understand that we are supernaturally born of God, who our Father is, and that we don’t live unto ourselves. We must WILLINGLY OFFER OURSELVES unto the death of The Cross to please The Father, so that HIS INCREASE, His Life can come forth in us. We can see this PRINCIPLE of The Seed, The Son coming to a death to do the will of God, bringing forth His increase in the Bible. *Remember these are the dealings of a Father/Son - not with Adam.

JOSEPH - Genesis 37- Rachel his mother was barren, but God remembered her. Vs. 3 - Israel loved Joseph more than all his children. He had dreams of being exalted over his brothers, so they hated him. He is cast into the pit of death, is sold, goes into Egypt, into prison; but ULTIMATELY Joseph gains the place of prominence over all the land and his brothers have to come to him for food. Joseph is tested during these many years, but in the end is exalted and shows true love for his brethren. There is a true, deep working of death in Joseph THAT God’s will be accomplished.

MOSES - Exodus 2 - Moses was under the sentence of death when he was born but God preserved him. He grows up as Pharaoh’s daughter’s son, but he has been given life to deliver God’s people, God’s son. Moses first thinks he can deliver them by his strength (vs. 11-15), but he has to flee so that God can remove all of Moses’ strength from him. He is 40 years tending the flock of his father in law on the back side of the desert before God was ready to use him. Now Moses is called of God to return to Egypt, but he goes knowing "I can’t", and he now declares THE I AM THAT I AM to the people!

JOHN THE BAPTIST - He also had a supernatural birth. (Luke1) But he had a purpose (vs. 16,17) - to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. And John had that ministry UNTIL Christ came and declared HIMSELF to be The Son. John WILLINGLY gave up his life, his ministry for the Greater ONE! John 3:27-30 - I am not The Christ...he that hears the bridegroom’s voice rejoiceth, my joy therefore is fulfilled. HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE.

This is the working of this greater comprehension of The Cross IN US, His Creation, who is the vessel containing His Seed. HE MUST INCREASE, BUT I MUST DECREASE. May we WILLINGLY, voluntarily offer ourselves to be TOTALLY consumed, that The Father’s Will be done - One Son - not I, Christ! Remember 2 Corinthians 4:7- we have this treasure (This Seed, this Life, this Son) in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us!

LESSON 24

In considering our Great Salvation we now want to look a little closer at the relationship of THE SEED and THE LAND that is promised to Abraham. This was the basis of God’s Covenant with those that He called out then unto Himself, and it is fulfilled by Christ in The New Covenant with His Church, but it is important that we see the relationship between The Seed and The Land.

Genesis 12:7 - Unto thy seed will I give this land. **The Land was promised to the Seed. - In the testimony God gave the natural seed a physical land. Now we are learning that the first is always natural, in the earth realm; but the second is spiritual and is "Much More".

- In the fulfillment THE SEED IS CHRIST, but did God promise Christ a physical land? No, and because of our lack of understanding, we believe this is some PLACE that we are going to when we die, and that "we" are going to go fill up heaven; that "we" are going to fill up that land. But the true understanding of the relationship of This Seed and Land is "much more" than that!

**This greater understanding will help us to comprehend The Church: for if Christ is The Seed, then that Land is HIS BODY, that He has been given of God, and THE SEED is to POSSESS and FILL UP that LAND, and that Land is to bring forth HIS FRUIT.

Look at the fulfillment in Ephesians 1:18 - The riches of the glory of HIS inheritance IN THE SAINTS. The promises of God were all to That Seed, that Son, but now as born again believers that Seed is IN US; so now those promises to The Seed might be manifested BY us. ** Every seed has its own body (1 Cor. 15:38), and God gave Christ a glorified Body in the resurrection that has received His inheritance, and is to manifest it. That’s The Church! Ephesians 3:10-11 - The Church, His Body, is to make known the manifest wisdom of God - Now! Vs. 11- According to the purpose...(Remember we said God’s purpose is not just for us to be born again, but that we manifest His Life; because what really is His inheritance? LIFE! ETERNAL LIFE WITH THE FATHER! His Body is to manifest His Life - Now! If we could properly understand this, it would correct a lot of our doctrines and our activities. **THE LAND IS TO EXPRESS THE SEED, and they become one. (Example - you have an acre of land. It’s just land. But now you plant corn in it, and now you have an acre of corn - not land AND corn - they become one, and the corn defines the land. And if there is nothing planted in the ground it is just land, and of itself has no definition and can’t bring forth any fruit. This should help us understand what God expects from the Land He promised The Seed. **The Seed only has ONE BODY - HIS Body. We are not just a body of believers (that’s the land!), but we are THE LORD’S BODY - Christ giving definition to the land. And it’s okay to go get more believers, but in that land you have to be planting that Seed, which is Christ - that Incorruptible Seed, otherwise all you have is barren land. And God’s Eternal Plan was always unto FRUITFULNESS, not barrenness - every seed bringing forth its own kind.

In the scripture there were many interventions of God when women were barren - Sarai, Rachel, Rebekah, Hannah, Elizabeth (John’s mother), and in all of these cases, it was THE LORD bringing life, and they conceived. But in each of these cases the births were all in relation to The Seed. And in the fulfillment in Christ, The Lord is not looking for natural births, but THE FRUIT OF THE SEED.

- Luke 13:6-9 - the man who planted the fig tree sought fruit from it. If not it should be cut down because it takes up space in the ground - for nothing. *The dresser of the vineyard desires to cultivate it to bring forth its fruit. (Reference John 15 - He is Vine, ye are branches - to bear His fruit - much fruit that The Father be glorified). **2 Thessalonians 1:10 - HE shall come to be glorified IN THE SAINTS, and to be admired in all them that believe. That’s the Land manifesting The Seed.

And don’t think that any growing thing will do! Isaiah 5:1-7 - God planted THE choicest vine and He looked for fruit, but the vineyard brought forth WILD grapes (looked like it, but was not the True Fruit). God took up His hedge and it was laid to waste!

Matthew 21 - The Lord expects fruit on the tree. Vs. 18-20 - He cursed the barren tree and it withered away.

May the Lord help us to see our relationship to Christ in regard to The Seed and The Land, The Church. Ephesians 1:22,23 defines The Church as HIS BODY, the fulness of Him that filleth all in all. ** Remember this land was promised to the seed in the Old Covenant, and it is precious to God and it can’t be lost because it was purchased by the precious Blood of His Son, His Seed. And God is at work in us waiting for the increase of His Seed. James 5:7-8 - The husbandman waits for the precious fruit - to come forth in the land. When will it come? With the coming (appearing, manifesting) of The Lord. And where will He appear? IN HIS BODY, The Land, The Church - filling it up with Himself. He has long patience for that! Let us prepare our hearts for His increase in us - That’s Great Salvation!

LESSON 25

As we are finishing our look at the second type of our Great Salvation regarding The Seed and The Land, I want to emphasize that CHRIST IS THE PERSON OF OUR SALVATION. All of these types find their fulfillment in HIM. **His very name, Jesus = Jeshua = Salvation (Matthew 1:21) *The emphasis should not be on "me getting saved", but that we come to know HIM as our Salvation. And these types that we are looking at in the Old Testament are understandings we must come to regarding Christ as our Salvation.

I want us to look at three pronouns that we can apply to these understanding of Christ as our Salvation. *Note: There is a progressive order that must be followed as we grow in understanding. These pronouns are: HE, HIS, HIM. HE relates to our understanding of The New Creation; HIS relates to the understanding of Seed/Land; HIM relates to The Church. Let’s look at this scripturally.

1. NEW CREATION - understanding who HE is; we come to realize the first man was Adam, the second man is The Lord (1 Cor. 15:47). Now it is not I, but CHRIST. (Galatians 2:20)

- Colossians. 3:9-11 - put off old man...put on New Man...neither...nor...but CHRIST is all - HE!

- Revelation 21:5 - I make all things new. (We are born anew - as Who He is)

- John 14:19 - Because I live, ye shall live (even as I live). HE is the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25) We live as He lives - One with The Father.

- Ephesians 2:5-6 - we are quickened, raised, seated as one - in Christ. In = of the same substance. I am not "in Christ" separate from Who He is; but One.

** And now as that New Creation, we are learning who HE is. 1 Corinthians 1:30 - HE is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. These are not "things" He gives us, but Who HE is; and as The New Creation we come to realize that in all things HE might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18) ** OUR SALVATION IS HE (CHRIST) IN YOU!

2. SEED/LAND - As we understand that He is The Seed (Life, Heir, Son) in us, then we come to understand what is HIS, and we are HIS; understanding HIS Seed filling HIS Land - that is HIS BODY.

- Ephesians 1:22-23 - The Church is HIS Body. (I am not my own, or members of man’s church organization, but ONE Body - HIS - Romans 12: 4,5- many/One.

- Here it is HIS calling, HIS inheritance in the saints - Ephesians 1:18

- As HIS, we are joint heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17), but we received what is HIS - His Life, His relationship with HIS Father.

- Here it is HIS increase - not mine. (Isaiah 9:6 - of the increase of HIS government and peace there shall be no end.)

** As The Seed it is the increase of ONE - in many, but it is HIS increase.

- This all takes place in HIS Body - The Seed possessing the Land - us.

- Philippians 3:20,21 - He shall change our vile body (the religious body of the first order) (Note: not bodies); that it may be fashioned like unto HIS glorious body. That is a glorified Man, The Body of HIS Resurrection, HIS Life. These are HIS own, living HIS Life, and it is by HIS working.

- Colossians 1:29 - according to HIS working, which worketh in me mightily.

3. THE CHURCH - This is HIS people in whom HE dwells, and they are to manifest HIM - the fulness of HIM that filleth all in all (Eph. 1:23)

(Israel was the type of this - a people who were called by HIS name, to make The I AM known to the nations. Exodus 3:13,14 - Moses was to declare The I AM.)

** Now The Church is to show HIM - 1 Peter 2:9,10 - a nation... that (here’s God’s purpose) ye should show forth the praises (virtues) of HIM.

The Church is to manifest HIM - Matthew 18:15-20 - Where two or three (a collective expression) are gathered in my name (in the understanding of Him - of Who HE is, and they are HIS) - there AM I (made manifest) in the midst of them. - And as we hold HIM to be The Head of The Church that God has made HIM to be, HE will manifest HIMSELF in our midst.

** And all ministry in The Church is so The Body will be built up and come to manifest the fulness of HIM - (Ephesians 4:11-14, 15-16) - Grow up into HIM.

This is how the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God. This is our GREAT SALVATION - it is Who HE is, revealing HIS Life in HIS own, who manifest HIM.

** "We" are not going to go be "with HIM" someday; we are HIS now, and He wants us to manifest HIM while we are on this earth!

HE IS OUR GREAT SALVATION!

LESSON 26

In our consideration of The Seed and The Land of our Great Salvation, we saw in James 5:7,8 that the husbandman has long patience for the fruit. We are seeing that this fruit is HIS INCREASE - in us, and it is by The Seed dying, and His death being worked in us, that this takes place. This was what The Father planned - an increase of His Seed - in many.

John 15:8 - Herein is my Father glorified, that YE bear much fruit.

** It is IN US, by us that His Life is to be seen. The fruit is seen, and manifests the life of The Seed. And this is His work in us today.

** Make no mistake - THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEED!

1 Peter 1:23 says we are born again of Incorruptible Seed, by The Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. But that Seed has to be RECEIVED into the Land, and it is the condition of the land that will determine how that Seed grows.

James 1:21 - Lay apart all wickedness, and RECEIVE WITH MEEKNESS (willing to accept God’s dealings with you, able to be corrected) the engrafted word (The Seed) which is able to SAVE YOUR SOULS. *This is the transformation that takes place in our hearts, our minds when HE increases and we decrease; when He possesses us and changes us - into His own image (bearing His fruit - His Life, His nature).

- We have to receive This Seed, This Word in our hearts - willingly, anxiously, to allow Him to possess us and manifest Himself in us.

Colossians 3:15-17 - Let (allow it to be so)...peace rule in your hearts...Let the word of Christ dwell IN YOU (Seed in land) richly...whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of The Lord Jesus (in His nature, His character.) **We must allow this to be in us. The Seed, His Word is Spirit and Life, but we must RECEIVE it into our own hearts, and allow for HIS increase. (Too many Christians try to use The Word for their profit, their increase; but we must receive The Word with meekness (knowing God needs to do a work IN US - eliminating us) so that only He will increase. HE must increase, I must decrease.

Proverbs 2:1-6 - Notice these are instructions to "my son". (It is with the Seed/Land that we come to understand the Father/Son relationship that we have been brought into.) Look at what is required: RECEIVE MY (we’d rather receive someone else’s) words, HIDE my commandments, INCLINE thine ear unto wisdom (we have "itchy" ears), APPLY thine heart to understanding, CRY after knowledge, SEEK understanding...THEN shall you understand...and find the knowledge of God.

All of this is what takes place IN US, and because we do not do these things we are unfruitful in bringing forth His Life. Remember the problem is with The Land, not with The Seed!

Luke 8:1-15 - The parable of The Sower.

- vs. 1-8 - Notice there is no fruit until The Seed finds GOOD ground. In the other cases it brought forth nothing that lasted.

- vs. 11-15 explains the parable, and deals with what is happening in the hearts of those that hear (the Land).

- vs. 15 - Good ground is described as they which in an HONEST and GOOD heart, having heard the word, KEEP IT, and bring forth fruit with patience. **The heart ALLOWS The Seed to bring its increase.**

And this word "patience" brings us right back to James 5:7-8 where we are told to be patient unto the coming of The Lord, and that we must establish our hearts, for the coming of The Lord draws near. When this happens, the precious fruit will come forth, for He is coming (appearing, making Himself known, manifesting Himself) - IN US!! And His fruit (His nature) will be seen in us!

This is The Seed possessing The Land, The Land now expressing The Seed which is its very Life. May we set our hearts to patiently wait for His full manifestation; inclining our hearts to this, and allowing Him to fill us up totally with His Life. This is the reality of our Great Salvation - may we begin to walk in The Truth of it.

Colossians 3:1-4 - We must set our hearts upon Him, and allow Him to appear - IN US - as our Life. When He appears in us, we manifest His glory. We are One with Him, manifesting His Life, His Fruit - that The Father may be glorified. This is Our Great Salvation. We are dead (work of The Cross); our life is hid with Christ in God, and Christ appearing in us, that Incorruptible Seed, bringing forth His incorruptible Life. May The Lord give us His understanding of The Seed and The Land - all FULFILLED IN CHRIST!