THE LIBERATING SECRET OF CHRIST

By J W Luman

INTRODUCTION:

Being In Christ

There are not too many believers who really understand what it means to be in Christ; who really understand the purpose: the Eternal Purpose and Plan of God, for which and by which you are saved. God did not just save you to get you out of sin. He saved you to get you into full union with Him through The Person of His Son. He brought you out of one person – Adam, and placed you in another Person – Christ. Over two hundred times in the New Testament alone, the term " IN CHRIST" is used. It is either "in Christ" or "in whom", or "in the Beloved", but it relates to the same truth, it relates to the same reality that your life is not in Adam, it is not in the earth, it is no longer in the realm of the earth; but rather, your life is now IN CHRIST. Salvation is much more than having some sins forgiven. Salvation is a New Creation, a New Creature, a New Life in the heavenlies, a New relationship with God as your Father through The Person of His Son Jesus Christ. And it is for this purpose that the Holy Spirit is come that He might lead you into the fulness of that relationship, that He might lead you into all that is in Christ; that you and I as His Body might come to a place where we stand in the fulness of Christ and manifest Him fully in the earth. Blessed be The Lamb of God!

Ephesians 3:11 – According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ephesians 1:4,6,11 – According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love… To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved…In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.

2 Corinthians 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.

Galatians 4:6 – And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

The Liberating Secret

Now this is that unto which we are called. And there is a LIBERATING SECRET that the Holy Spirit would minister to you and I. There are four parts to this study. The Liberating Secret of The Cross, and then, The Liberating Secret of His Appearing. And I am talking now of His appearing in you; His being revealed in the saints, His being revealed in His Body. Then The Liberating Secret of His Name. The Scriptures say that we are to do all, and say all in the Name of The Lord Jesus Christ. What does that mean? Is that just some kind of a formula? Is that just saying ‘Jesus, Jesus, Jesus’? No it is not! It is rather a speaking out and living out from an inward realization brought by The Holy Spirit: speaking out from a new identity, speaking out from a new relationship. It is doing all in that relationship as an expression of that relationship, as an expression of that new identity which is ours in Christ Jesus. Then there is The Liberating Secret of His Glory. The Scriptures say that, " We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into that same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (2 Corinthians 3:18) Paul says, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18) Jesus says, " Father, glorify Me with the glory that I had with Thee before the world was." (John 17:5) Then in verse 10 He says, " I am glorified in them." THERE IS A LIBERATING SECRET OF ENTERING IN BY THE SPIRIT TO THIS VERY REALM OF THE GLORY OF GOD!

2 Thessalonians 1:10 - When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

Colossians 3:4,17 – When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory…And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

The Liberating Secret of The Cross

Now, I want us to look at something concerning the working of The Cross, the secret of The Cross. In Ephesians there is something that maybe you have considered, and maybe you have not; but let us consider it together now. Ephesians 4, beginning with verse 14, " That we henceforth be no more children…" This seems to be the very theme of all the letters of Paul: that we be no more children; that we be no more ones just born, but rather ones that have experienced son placement. That ye be no more just children, but rather that you live as sons of God. That the knowledge of Christ dwell in you in all richness, and in all wisdom, and in all fulness. That in fact, you grow up into Him Who is the Head of all things; that you be no more as children. I am telling you folks, Salvation doesn’t just begin and end with the forgiving of your sins, or with you just coming by New Birth as a newborn babe, as a newborn child. My, that is just the entrance into this glorious plan that God has established in Christ! But rather, we are in Him for the sole purpose of growing up into His absolute Image and into His absolute Fulness, and into the absolute Measure of His Own Stature. Who is the full measure of Salvation? Well, IT IS CHRIST!

Ephesians 1:17 – That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Romans 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.

The Measure of Salvation

Now, how many of you have heard people measure Salvation by the depth of sin out from which they came? They say, ‘Oh Salvation is great because I was such a great sinner.’ And they talk about all the things they did or didn’t do, and all the things from which they were delivered. And it’s wonderful that God delivered you from alcoholism, or that He delivered you from dope addiction, or from wife-swapping or husband beating, or from whatever He delivered you. It’s wonderful that He delivered you from all those things, but that is NOT the measure of our Salvation; because your Salvation is no greater than that of the little child sitting right there, if that child comes to the Lord. No, you may have a greater deliverance, but you don’t have a greater Salvation, because the measure of Salvation is NOT sin. THE MEASURE OF SALVATION IS THE FULNESS OF CHRIST! There are a lot of people who have a great deliverance but do not know the full measure of Salvation; because to them Salvation is just getting out from some condition. To them Salvation is not doing all the things they used to do. They know very little about coming into maturity; very little about taking on the image of Jesus Christ, very little about becoming a son of God after His likeness. They know very little about growing up into Him. So actually, they know very little about Salvation. Their whole understanding revolves around what they do not do any more. And I am telling you that is real. Yes, it is a reality. Deliverance is a reality, but Salvation is more than a deliverance. We are going to see that it is also a translation. Blessed be the Name of The Lord! You don’t just come out of Egypt – YOU GO INTO CANAAN! Well, there is Truth!

Ephesians 3:17-19 – That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The Increase of Christ

So now we read, " … that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lay in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." That is a strong statement. Look at it again. " But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Now verse 20 and 21, " But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus." Look at that: AS THE TRUTH IS IN JESUS. What is Paul saying to us here? Well, he is saying that we should speak the truth to one another. Now he is talking about the increase of the Body of Christ. He not only means coming up into full stature, but he means the Body of Christ literally filling up the earth with the increase of Christ. It not only means growing up into Him in all things, but as a result of growing up into all things, the Body of Christ shall bring forth an increase of Christ in the earth!

Genesis 9:1 – And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.

John 15:8 – Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Habakkuk 2:14 – For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

Romans 8:19 – For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Christ Formed In You

And also, as far as I am concerned in this reading, he is saying that if we do not grow up into Christ in all things, that we will not bring forth an increase of Christ in the earth. We may send people around the world, but we will not bring forth an increase of Christ. Until we begin to grow up in Him, until we begin to bring forth an increase of Him in one another out of the measure of Christ that is working in us; until we begin to speak the truth one to another, we do not have much right trying to speak the truth to the heathen in Africa. Until we get the truth working one to another, what are we trying to do ministering in China? You see, the increase starts with you; the increase starts here. And the increase is not more people in these chairs; THE INCREASE IS MORE CHRIST FORMED IN YOU. Amen! Now, I say "more Christ" meaning more expression, a fuller expression, a fuller manifestation, a fuller growing up, a fuller knowledge of Christ working in you. And that is where the increase starts; and I believe that when Christ begins to increase in you and me, and we begin to be conformed into His Image, into His Life, into His Nature, into His Character; then we will begin to live as His Body. We will begin to be not just a group of people that come together in a building somewhere, but begin to live together as HIS VERY BODY. Then we will not just be a people who "go to church", but a people who understand that "we are The Church"; we are the very Church, we are the very Body of The Lord Jesus Christ, the very increase of Him. And then we shall bring forth an increase of CHRIST in the earth and that increase shall reach the very ends of the earth. Programs are not going to get it done, but an increase of Christ will.

Colossians 1:29 – Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Galatians 4:19 – My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.

James 5:7 – Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Ephesians 4:16 – From whom (Christ) the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 1:23, - (the church) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Speaking The Truth In Love

We need to begin to speak the Truth one to another. Paul says, "…But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." Paul says this is the building up one of another in the measure of the Truth that is in you. That is what verse 16 says, " …each joint supplieth each other joint according to the measure that is working in you." "… speaking the truth…" Measuring out from each other the Truth as it is IN CHRIST. We are going to see what that means: the Truth as it is in Christ. Look at verse 21, it says that you have heard Him. "… If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." Now to whom is he writing here? He is writing to the Church at Ephesus. Do you realize that the Church at Ephesus was a Gentile Church? Do you realize that these people never laid their eyes on the bodily form of Jesus Christ? Do you realize that these people are not Jews; they had never seen Jesus with their natural eyes, they had never heard Jesus with their natural ears? Do you realize that these people are no where near the east end of the Mediterranean Sea? No, that is not where Ephesus was. These people never heard Jesus, they never saw Jesus. And yet, he is saying here, "If so be that ye have heard Him, and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus." And here it is – Paul uses the term "Jesus" and "Truth" synonymously, and he is speaking of a people in whom Christ has been revealed and who have been taught by The Spirit The Truth as it is in Christ, and they know Him better than most of the ones who sat down with Him on the seashore and heard Him tell parables, and did NOT understand one word that He said! But Paul is talking to the people, and he says if you have heard Him, and if you have been taught by Him, then you are they who know The Truth as it is in Christ: for it is The Truth as it is in Christ, it is the purpose of the Holy Spirit to come and teach you The Truth as it is in Christ. When you receive The Truth as it is in Christ, you have heard Him, and have been taught by Him. Praise God!

2 Corinthians 5:16 – Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

John 6:26 – Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

The Truth In Him

This is a glorious thing; that The Word changeth not. " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." (John 1:1,2) And that same Word is in you, and if The Holy Spirit reveals that Word in you, then you have heard HIM and you have been taught by HIM, as the Truth is in HIM. Now, we are not speaking of things about Jesus; we are not talking about doctrines that relate to Jesus. We are talking about the Truth as it is IN JESUS. Folks, Jesus never said ‘I am going to show you a truth’ or ‘teach you a truth’ or ‘show you a way’ or ‘give you a life’. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life…" (John 14:6) Now, He does NOT show you one. ‘Here I AM. I AM the way. I didn’t come to give you a truth. I AM The Truth. IN me is the fulness of Truth. I AM The Word of My Father. I AM proceeding forth from My Father. The Spirit of Truth shall come and teach you ME. I AM that Living Word. I AM that Life. And in that I live, ye shall live also. You will live by Me: not some life I give you, but ME living in you in reality; and The Holy Spirit revealing Me in you; not just telling you some things about Me so you can all sit down and fuss and fight and divide yourselves as to how you think it ought to be.’ No sir, but seeing The Truth as it is in Christ, as one with Christ. It is not coming out with fifteen doctrines on this or that, but seeing The Truth as it is in Christ. Before there ever was a
Roman Church, before there ever was a Church of The Reformation, before there ever was a Martin Luther, before there ever was a John Calvin, before there ever was any so-called church father, before there ever was an Assembly of God, Church of God, Methodist, Baptist… you name it, there was THE TRUTH as it is IN CHRIST; and when the Holy Spirit reveals Christ in you, you are being taught by Him!

John 14:19 – Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

John 11:25,26 – Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Galatians 1:15,16 – But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

Life And Death

The only unity in the Church today is hearing the Truth as it is in Christ. The Truth as it is in Christ is two-fold: it is life and death. Ephesians 4:22, "…that you put off concerning the former conversation…(that means manner of life)…the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." The Truth as it is in Christ has to do with putting off; putting off the old man. That is, it has to do with reckoning dead what is dead indeed. It has to do with putting on the New Man. That is, it has to do with reckoning alive that which is made Life unto you indeed. So the Truth as it is in Christ then centers about The Cross, where there is a putting off of the old, and a putting on of the New. So, we have here introduced into our study the old man, who is called Adam. And we have introduced here the New Man, The New Man Who is Christ Himself: not a reasonable facsimile, but CHRIST HIMSELF! Paul relates the Truth to the putting off of one and the putting of on another. Do you see that? He is talking to believers. He is talking to those people who are over here as a believer in Christ – IN CHRIST. What he is saying to these people is, now I would that you be no longer a child, but that you grow up in Him in all things; that the Truth be grounded in you. That the TRUTH be grounded; that you would know the Truth. Paul desires that you who are in Christ would know the Truth as it is in Christ, and that by THE TRUTH, you would reckon the old man to be dead indeed, and you would reckon the New Man to be alive indeed. That you would actually in the counsel of your heart, in your very soul put off (reckon dead) the old, and put on (reckon alive) CHRIST IN YOU.

Romans 6:11 – Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Colossians 2:6,7 – As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

The Truth

Let us look at the Gospel of John chapter 8. This is a very familiar verse. Each of you know it, but I still want to enlarge upon something, and I think if we see this, it will help us to understand what the Spirit would have us to see together. Verse 32, " And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." Now, what is it that will make you free? THE TRUTH. Not anything else! THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE. Now we are not talking about being set free; we are talking about being made free, and there is a difference between the two. "To as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God."(John 1:12) This is the making process of sons. How does God bring a Believer from a child to a son? BY THE TRUTH! That they grow up in the Truth; that they grow up in the knowledge of Christ. Folks, there is a growing process that you and I must encounter. And that is not in experiences: it is in Truth. It is having the Truth settled in us, that we are growing up in the Truth. "YE SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE. Now, you cannot separate the Truth from The Son; you cannot separate Christ from the Truth; you cannot separate the Person of The Word from the Truth of The Word. Verse 36 says, " And if the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." Who is this Truth? Well, CHRIST IS THE TRUTH. Who is this Truth? Well, The Son is the Truth. Alright, but now let us look at one other place. That is 1 Corinthians 2. We are seeing that the Truth is Person. The Truth is not the historical fact that Jesus walked on the earth. Non-believers will even agree on that. The Truth is not that there was a man called Jesus. Muslims will agree to that. THE TRUTH IS THE PERSON OF CHRIST. The Truth is not associated with Him; the Truth is integrated with Him. HE IS THE TRUTH! He is The Word of God. To know Him is to know the Truth. I don’t mean just accepting Him as Salvation from your sin. I mean knowing Him; growing up in Him; having Christ revealed in you by the Spirit of God. He is One with the Truth. Ye shall know THE TRUTH, and THE TRUTH shall make you free!

John 1:1,14,17 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth…For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 – Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

John 17:3 – And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Galatians 1:15,16 – But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.

Truth Realized At The Cross

Now look what Paul says. 1 Corinthians 2:1, " And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." Not just Christ, not just the Cross; but CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. Here the Truth is realized – at The Cross. The first chapter of this letter says, " For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18) In the first chapter he has said that the preaching of the Cross is the power and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). In the second chapter he says, "I will know nothing among you save Christ and him crucified." Now, let us look at what we have seen, and then go into our lesson. What is it? Paul says, " …that you would speak the truth to one another in love, that you may grow up into Him." (Ephesians 4:15) For he says it is in knowing the truth that you shall be made free; and if this Son, Who is the Truth shall make you free, shall liberate you – you are free indeed! Than in Galatians he says, " Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1) And now this same man who says ‘speak the Truth, knowing nothing but the Truth’, says ‘ I will know nothing save Christ and Him crucified.’ He brings the whole center of the Truth down and settles it IN THE CROSS. Here is the place of Truth – THE CROSS. You cannot find Truth aside from the Cross, because here is where Christ is openly and completely revealed as The Truth of God. It is this relationship that is brought about by The Cross wherein we finally come to the absoluteness of the Truth in all believers.

The Cross

Most people think that The Cross is a stick of wood that they put on the wall. Most people think that The Cross is a board on which Jesus died 2,000 years ago. But you see, The Cross was in the heart of God from before the foundation of the world; for He is a Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It is fulfilled on a tree, but The Cross in God’s heart is not something constructed by Rome. The Cross is a principle, a part of God. The Cross is the very power of God and the wisdom of God by which He makes this child here, this believer who is a child; by which He makes him a son; by which He conforms him into the very image of Jesus Christ, and brings him into an absolute liberty that I am telling you, most believers do not enjoy. Now I am not telling you that every believer is not in Christ. I am telling you, and I tell you on the authority of The Cross, that most believers who are in Christ do NOT understand the liberty with which they have been made free! They do not understand the absoluteness of their separation unto Christ. They do not understand it. Why? Because most believers do NOT KNOW THE TRUTH as it is in Christ. They know some things about Him that are true. They know He saves from sin, and He does. They know He heals, and He does. They know He delivers, and He does. They know He baptizes, and He does. They know He is coming again, and He is. They know some truths about Him, but we are not speaking of truths ABOUT Him; we are talking about the knowing of Him in a way that only The Holy Spirit can teach you. And there is a liberty in knowing Him as One with The Cross, onto which most believers have not yet laid hold.

Revelation 13:8 – And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, (the beast) whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

1 Peter 1:19,20 – But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

Romans 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.

We Need to Know The Truth

Most believers are still battling with things in their lives that Christ has liberated them from at The Cross; but for lack of knowledge and the knowing of The Truth, they are still battling with these things. Somebody will come along and say, ‘What you need to do is pray through.’ They have prayed through! They have prayed through fifty times! They have prayed through a hundred and fifty times! They have prayed through every week. They get an experience every Sunday, and they are still battling with the same things. Someone will say, ‘What you need to do is be delivered.’ They had been delivered! What they need to do is know THE TRUTH. "You shall know the truth…" You see, I am not talking about getting free from sins, sins as acts of sin; but rather, knowing the complete separation of all things unto Christ. There is a Liberating Secret in The Cross. I want us to look at that together.

John 16:13,14 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak; and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

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.

1. SEPARATED FROM THE POWER OF DARKNESS

Darkness

Turn with me in your Bibles to Colossians 1:13. How many of you know that before we were in Christ, we were in Adam? Adam, the creation that is called Adam, the old man that is called Adam; and before we were in Christ, we were in Adam. How many of you know that the Adamic realm, the Adamic creation – not just the Adamic nature, but the Adamic realm is a threefold realm? It is a realm that is of darkness; it is a realm of the world; it is a realm of the earth. Now remember what we have been saying. Romans 5:9, "Much more then, being now justified by His blood (you are free from sin), we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Verse 10, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His Life." I have no doubt that you are free from sin, but there is more to Salvation than just not sinning, and I want you to understand this. I want you to understand Colossians 1:13, " Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness…" (See Diagram #1) Would you agree that this is the power of darkness? D-A-R-K. Would you agree that the Bible says that "Ye were sometimes darkness…" (Ephesians 5:8) Not just in darkness, ye WERE darkness! You were lock, stock, and barrel, tied up, hopelessly bound up and in darkness, and bless your heart, darkness was in you! You were in darkness, and darkness was in you. That is the fact. Now, "Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness…"That means that we are delivered FROM this place. We are not just saved in this place and left here. Notice we are not just delivered from the power of darkness. Look at the scripture. We need to learn how to read the Word of God. ""...and hath translated us…" We are not just delivered from the power of darkness by the Working of The Cross; we are not just delivered by the Work of The Cross; we are not just redeemed by His Blood. There is more to this thing! "You shall be saved…", and that means absolute full Salvation by His Life!

1 Corinthians 15:22 – For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Ephesians 2:2 – 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.

Exodus 15:17,18 – Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established. The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

Translated Into The Kingdom

We are not just delivered from darkness, God love our hearts; we are translated into the KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON. (See diagram #3) We are taken OUT from one place and put INTO another place. We are taken out of one realm and put in another realm. We are taken out from one man and put in another Man. We are not just saved and left here. No sir! Our deliverance has to do with a TRANSLATION. If you know the Truth, if you know the Truth of what truly happened at The Cross; if you know the Truth concerning Christ and Him crucified; if you know that this Christ brought the old into Himself and put it up to a death, and came forth in a full resurrection as a New Man, and all that are born again are no longer in the old – they are in the New. THIS IS THE TRUTH CONCERNING THE CROSS! Not just deliverance from sin, but a means by which we were translated. This is a Spiritual term. Translated into the Kingdom of His Dear Son: moved out from one man into another Man; the old man (#1) to the New Man (#3). Where we were one with the old, now we are one with the New. Where we were of Adam’s body, now we are of Christ’s Body. Listen, believer friend, when we just get hold of this much, we would stop all the splits in the Body of Christ! That as we were one in Adam, now we are One in Christ. As we were of the old, now we are of the New. And if there is only one Christ; then there is only One Body. And now is Christ divided? No! We are divided; and why are we divided? Because we do not know THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN CHRIST. We think in our minds, in our understanding (and we are controlled by our understanding). Yes we are, or the lack of it.

1 Corinthians 1:13 – Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?

Understanding of The Soul

And I am not talking about academic degrees. I am talking about the understanding of the soul. It is the soul, it is the heart that understands. The brain has no understanding of its own, not in the true sense of the understanding of the heart. There is where understanding either is or isn’t. The brain calculates, but the heart understands. The brain is like a computer, but the heart is an understanding organ. I am not talking about the one that pumps blood; I am talking about your soul, your mind, your heart. But for lack of understanding… The Scripture says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." (Proverbs 29:18) And in the Old Testament even that is translated, "for lack of revelation or for lack of understanding, or for lack of God given truth." So here’s what we think: we think that we are over here in Adam (#1) – saved, sanctified, filled with the Holy Ghost, waiting on the rapture. Now isn’t that about what we preach as the Gospel, normally? Now listen to me, I have been saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit since I was five or six years old. I started preaching when I was fourteen years old, so I am not talking about strangers. I am talking about Pentecostal people – God love you! I have been around Pentecostal people all my life. I was born and raised up one. And I am telling you what we preach. We preach saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost, and waiting on the rapture. Now that is what we preach, and we do not understand any of it, but that is what we preach; and we argue over what all those things mean. Yes we do. We argue over every one of those points. We argue over Salvation, we argue over Sanctification, we argue over Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and nobody agrees on when, where, or whether there even is a rapture. Now, that is our Gospel, wrapped up in a nutshell. And we call it "Full Gospel"! That is OUR idea!

Ephesians 4:23 – And be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

Romans 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.

Hosea 4:6 – My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Coming Forth in the Faith of The Son of God

Now I am going to tell you: you can call prayer conferences until your tongue falls out on the carpet and it is not going to bring unity. There will be no unity until His Faith comes, until Truth comes into the Church, until Truth comes into the Body of the Lord Jesus Christ. There will be no unity until we come forth in the faith of the Son of God, until we quit functioning as an organization and begin to function as His Body, filled up with the Truth of Him; growing up into Him in all things, Who is the Head. The Body does not have two Heads, and the Head does not have two Bodies. Most of us are over here (#3) having our little experiences with God. Now, I do not want to belittle these experiences, and you forgive me if it appears so. I would not belittle anybody’s experiences with God. I have had experiences with God, but experiences are only helpful if we continue to move from one place to another. They are not to keep you in any one place. So here we are with all of our experiences – in Christ. But actually, in our understanding we think we are still in Adam (#1), in this old realm – trying to get out. We still see ourselves in Adam. I always say that we need to put most of our songbooks away, because I think most of our theology comes out of them. We need to get rid of most of our songbooks, and all of our Sunday School Quarterlies! Now don’t get mad at me. I think we ought to call a prayer conference and stay in the Scripture until we understand what it is saying by ‘The Mind of The Spirit.’ You see, we have heard it sung, so we think… We sing, ‘We are just pilgrims and strangers traveling here below. We’re just pilgrims and strangers.’ So we say, we are just pilgrims and strangers in an alien environment; but I have got news for you!

Ephesians 4:13,15 – Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ… But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.

Ephesians 1:23 – (the church) Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

 

Knowing The Difference

Look in Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 2. Now he is talking to some people who are IN CHRIST. He is talking to some people that are not just delivered: they are translated! They have been moved from one realm to the other, and in verse 19 it says, " NOW ye are NO MORE strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints in the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." Oh, no sir! You are not a pilgrim and a stranger wandering around over in Adam. You are a son of God in Christ Jesus! You are living in HIM! (see diagram) You are a fellow saint; you are of the household, and your citizenship is in Christ. I am NOT waiting to go there, thank God. I AM THERE! And if you are in Him, you are too. But you see, The Truth, The Truth of that is what most do not understand. And just saying it to them does not make any difference either, because their eyes tell them that they are in a building with a red carpet on the floor. In the natural we look around and say, "We are in a building that is painted a lovely white, and has nice red carpet on the floor, so do not tell me that this is not really where I am." But The Spirit of God says, "No you are not. You are IN CHRIST JESUS! No matter whether the circumstances are lovely or ugly – you are in Christ Jesus! You are not in Adam (#1); you are in Christ (#3)." No wonder Paul says that we do not walk by sight, we do not declare things that are seen, but that which is unseen. For the things that are seen are temporal and pass away even as we look at them. Thank God. The molecular structure is disappearing even as I am beating on the top of this piece of wood! It is passing away. Oh, the things that are not seen are Eternal. I want to tell you something, folks. True Salvation is being moved from the old (#1) to The New (#3), and the Truth is knowing the difference. THE TRUTH IS KNOWING THE DIFFERENCE.

Hebrews 12:22,23 – But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Colossians 3:1 – If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

2 Corinthians 5:7 – (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 4:18 – While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Out From Darkness

Now, as we were in darkness, and darkness was in us; now we are in the light. Here is the problem. Most of us do not have much light in us. Actually, we are there, but we are children. We differ nothing from a servant because we are children. " Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all." (Galatians 4:1) Oh, that we grow up in the knowledge of Him! You see that is where we are – IN HIM. That we grow up in the knowledge of Him! That we would understand that Salvation is not just me over here in Adam, forgiven of sin; but Salvation is me being out from the old, gone from there, disappeared from there, and being found IN THE NEW, IN CHRIST! Paul says, Oh, that I may be found in Christ, not having mine own righteousness, or my own life, or my own holiness, or my own anything; but rather that which is applied by faith in God.

Ephesians 5:8 – For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light.

Acts 26:18 – To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

1 John 2:8 – Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

Philippians 3:9 – And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

To Be Found In Christ

Oh, to be found here IN CHRIST JESUS! We shall know the Truth as the Truth is in Jesus! Well, no wonder Paul says, "… I pray that God will give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of…HIM." (Ephesians 1:17,18) What is the next phrase? "The eyes of your understanding…" You see, we are trying to see with these natural eyes, and all we see is either good or bad situations, either good people, or people that we do or do not like. God love your heart! As long as we try to stay with our mind over in Adam we cannot know each other but by the flesh. But when we begin to see the Truth as it is in Christ, it will be impossible to know each other by the flesh. That is why Paul says, "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Therefore we know no man after the flesh. We do not even know Christ after the flesh." (2 Corinthians 5:16,17) We used to, but now we know Him that way no more! Blessed be the Lamb of God! We are coming into the Truth as it is in Christ. The eyes of your understanding… not these natural eyes, but these spiritual eyes; the eyes of your heart being enlightened, that you may know; that you may walk out the length and the breadth and the depth and the height. "That you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power."(Ephesians 1:18,19)

Ephesians 3:18,19 – May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

The Truth Working In You

How did Christ resist the devil? With THE TRUTH! You say, well, He quoted scriptures. No, there was more to it than quoting scriptures. He did not just quote scriptures. He stood there in the Person of The Truth and defended the scriptures. The devil quoted the scriptures. Christ did not just quote scripture to him; He stood there as THE TRUTH of that Word; as THE TRUTH of that scripture. He stood there as the assurance of it – immovable! He did not come at him with His Bible, quoting scripture. But you see again, you and I think we are over here in Adam with our Bible, quoting scripture to the devil. No sir, you are standing IN CHRIST; and if The Cross has had its work in you, if you are standing in the Truth of it, then you are no more in Adam, but only found IN CHRIST, having no Life but Him. The Cross must be wisdom to you. It must be worked out in Truth. Oh, the power of The Cross! Paul said this Cross, The Truth must be in you, just as surely as it was manifested in Christ two thousand years ago, and even before that – before the foundation of the world. Just that real – The Truth, the Working of The Cross, THE TRUTH must be working in you. The Cross must be an abiding thing whereby you are continually separated from all that is not Christ unto all that is Christ. This must be so because that is what the power of The Cross is. It is separating you from all that is not Christ unto all that is Christ. "In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:9) "In Him dwelleth all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:3) "In Him it pleased the Father than all fulness should dwell. And ye are complete in Him…" (Colossians 1:19,20) Now let that Truth be complete in you. You are separated, delivered and translated into the Kingdom of His Dear Son. This is the true preaching of The Cross – being separated from all that is not Christ, and that separation must be realized in your heart.

Matthew 4:3,4,10,11 – And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God…Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Galatians 2:20 – 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.

1 Peter 1:18-20 – Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

Colossians 1:26,27,29 – Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory…Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily.

Galatians 6:14 – But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

2. SEPARATED FROM THE WORLD

Time Past/NOW

Now let us look at another scripture. Ephesians 2:1 relates to the same thing. "And you hath he quickened (that means made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past…" That is a good word to add to the old (#1) – PAST, TIME PAST. Isn’t it a shame that most believers live in "times past"? Isn’t it a shame that Salvation to most believers is an experience that they got twenty years ago, thirty years ago, two weeks ago… but it is time past. That is a shame. What one got thirty years ago was deliverance. Salvation is time present. The scriptures say in relating to this relationship and this reality "NOW are we the sons of God…" (1 John 3:2) Look at that word "NOW". It always applies to Christ Jesus. It certainly does. Even when I was reading from Ephesians 4 it says the same thing. "… that we henceforth…" (verse 14) That means the same thing: that NOW. It is in direct opposition to the time past. So the old is a "time past" picture, folks, (#1) "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 (manner of life) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind (earthly mind); and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." This is TIME PAST.

Galatians 4:6,7 – And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

But GOD

But look at verse 4: "… BUT GOD…" Where do we put that in our picture? (See Diagram - #2) THE CROSS. You know and I know that nobody less than God, in The Person of His Son came here – to The Cross! No one less. He didn’t send an angel; He came in The Person of His Son. God in the flesh – God came! Ah yes, remember His promise to Abraham when he took Isaac to the mount? Isaac said, "Father, we’ve got the wood here, we’ve got the fire and we have everything else and we are going to the mount. Where is the sacrifice?" (Genesis 22:7,8) Abraham in his father’s heart of faith looked at that lad and said, " Son, God shall provide Himself a sacrifice." And that is exactly what He did! Nobody less than God, Himself. "BUT GOD"! What is the difference between the old and the New? BUT GOD! What is the difference between Adam and Christ? BUT GOD! What is the difference between the old realm and this reality? BUT GOD! One was brought to an end, and the other was issued forth in an endless beginning. One was brought to an absolute death, and the other came forth in an absolute triumphant resurrection! I am telling you folks, we are no longer in the old, we are in the other, the New. Let "BUT GOD" be worked out in your heart. In every situation let it be – BUT GOD. That is what makes the difference.

Romans 8:3 – For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.

Hebrews 2:14,16 – Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil…for verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

Hebrews 10:9 – Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

Dead to Sin – Alive to God

Well, there it is – BUT GOD. Ephesians 2:5, " Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ…" Look at what happened here. We have already read Colossians, now we are reading it here. "Even when we were dead in sin…" You see, there is a difference in being dead at The Cross to sin, and being dead in sin to God. At The Cross (see diagram #2) we die to sin, and are made by Christ alive to God; but in Adam we are dead in sin and dead to God. Even when we were dead in sin, God made us alive; quickened us together with His Son. That is when you were born again. Now, if He did not go any farther than that we could assume that He just made us, and made a circle out of a square (see diagram), and just left us there. Quickened us together with Christ: Christ dwelling in you – us born again, Spirit filled, delivered from sins; because the picture does not show us delivered from anything else but delivered from sin; not battling the devil and the world and the earth every day. Here I go… just a pilgrim and a stranger… But it does not stop there. No sir! It does not stop there; Part of this divine quickening is also… " And hath raised us up together…" This ‘together’ means ‘as one’. AS ONE – isn’t that wonderful? "You were once dead in sin, BUT GOD hath made us alive and quickened us AS ONE WITH CHRIST." Paul says, " I am crucified with Christ." (Galatians 2:20) He recognized I have gone to the Cross with Him. He did NOT go to the Cross for me or about me… He took ME there! I am the one He took there. I am the creation He took there. I am the Adamic mess that He took to the Cross. He did not go there for it, He took it there in Himself; He became the first Adam. Amen. He became the last JW Luman.

Romans 6:1,2,11 – What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?…Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 3:3 – Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

The First and Last Adam

Yes sir. Over in Christ I have a New Name. (#3) He became the last JW Luman. He didn’t just save old JW from sin; He put JW to a death, and there is NO New JW! He became the first and the last Adam. Paul says, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet NOT I, but Christ liveth in me." (Galatians 2:20) But we still have this picture right here. And it is true that you are quickened, and as One with Him. It is true that we have no Life but Christ. It is true that He dwells in you. But look at this folks. The TRUTH of The Cross does not stop there. The Truth of The Cross goes on. Our liberty with which Christ hath made us free does not stop there. It goes on: past deliverance into union, past deliverance into fellowship, past deliverance into divine union with Him! "And hath raised us up AS ONE and made us sit AS ONE in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come…" Oh Hallelujah! This place is good for ages to come! He hasn’t just quickened us together with Christ; He hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Where does Christ sit? Ephesians 1:19, " And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 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." Where did He set Christ? At His Own Right Hand! Where is that? In heavenly places! Above what? All principalities and power! Above what? Every name that is named! In what age? In every age: in this age and every age that is to come! Where did He set you? He quickened you together (as One, in union) with Christ. It is no longer you, but Christ in you, and you in Him. He raised you up in Christ. He set you together in Christ in heavenly places far above all principalities and powers, far above every name that is named. YOUR name stays in the old, in Adam (#1`). Now it is HIS NAME! That is where you are – IN CHRIST!

1 Corinthians 15:45 – And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

2 Corinthians 5:14,21 – For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead; For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Galatians 5:1 – Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

All Things Become New

I am telling you there is a Liberating Secret to The Cross. Well, we are out from the realm of darkness; but not only that, we are out from the realm of the world. Look now at Ephesians 2:10, " For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Look at this: a new workmanship, a New Creation. Where? Created in Christ Jesus! Now folks, everything of the first creation was created out of this creation. Man was created out of dirt. The first man was after the earth, earthy. But look here, God used this realm, this dirt and created a man. So Jesus said to Nicodemus, " That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." This New Creation is NOT an old one made better; it is NOT an old one washed up, and cleaned and changed. No, it is NOT earthly at all. The New One is created in Christ: there is no dirt here! There is not anything of the old here. What did He create this one out of? Out of SPIRIT! That which is born of the Spirit is spirit. I am telling you folks, there is liberation; and most believers haven’t come to realize it because they are still trying to see the New Creation out of the eyes of the old. And this New Creation can only be revealed IN YOU by The Spirit of God. But when you know the Truth, the Truth will make you free. Free from what? Free from everything that is of the old, unto everything that is of the New! I have already quoted from 2 Corinthians 5:17, " If any man be…" Where? "…in Christ." Where? IN CHRIST. Where is that? "Seated in Christ in heavenly places." There is only one description given in the whole Bible; (this relationship is referred to hundreds of times) but just ONE description is given of it. " … seated with him in heavenly places." (Ephesians 2:6) That is the description of it. Raised up into Him. "If any man be in Christ he is…" What? Not just a saved individual; not just someone with sins forgiven. No, "a New Creature, a New Creation"; and both of them are true, both are proper. A New Creature in a New Creation; a New part of a New home; a New member of a New Body; A New Creature… A New Creation. Where are old things? They are passed away! "…old things are passed away; Behold all things are become new."( 2 Corinthians 17) And this is the word of reconciliation.

Genesis 2:7 – And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1 Corinthians 15:47 - The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

2 Corinthians 5:18 – And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.

His Life in a New Creation

Oh folks, as long as we are over here (#1) in our understanding, in the old; trying to be reconciled to one another – forget it! It will not be done. The Cross is the place of reconciliation where we understand the old is done away, and behold IN HIM that all things are New! This is the Work, this is the ministry of reconciliation. You are never going to bring reconciliation down here into this old place and try to get Christians together; try to get squares to look like circles. You are never going to work that out – never in your life are you going to do that. But rather by the understanding of The Cross that we are no longer in Adam, the old (#1), but we are in Christ, the New (#3), and therefore we are ONE. And behold if we are One then we are reconciled. If we are reconciled to God, we are reconciled one to another. But we are not. Why? Because, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) You cannot put new wine in an old flask. You can not do it. New wine belongs in a new wine skin. The New Wine of His Life is in a New Creation. Thank God for that New Creation, but quit trying to see it with these natural eyes. Begin to see with the eyes of understanding. Quit trying to hear with these natural ears. In times past, Hebrews says… "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets…" (Hebrews 1:1) In times past He spake hard out of Heaven to us, but now, "Hath at the end of those days spoken unto us in His Son." (verse 2) And I know your King James translation says "by", but if you read any good Greek translation, and even some of you have it in your margin as "in" – "hath spoken to us IN His Son." See the Truth as it is in Christ. We are out from the world then, because we are a New Creation. Paul says in Galatians 6:14, " But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." I count it dead, and it counts me dead. I count it gone, and it counts me gone. Do you know why so many of us are bothered by the world? We live so close to it. We still think that is where we are.

Luke 5:37,38 – And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

 

 

3. SEPARATED FROM THE EARTH

Things Above

We have been delivered from the earth. Now this is where people want to start bringing out their white jackets, catch me and put me in them! We are different from the earth. I am only going to make one statement about this and go on. Colossians 3:1, " If ye then be risen with Christ…" That is NOT a question: it is an exclamation! Look here, believer. "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection (your heart, your ambition, your desire, your walk) on things above, not on the things of the earth." You say ‘Well, Paul we do not understand that’, because we see ourselves over in the old (#1) and so we divide this realm. We divide it into two realms: spiritual and earthly. We try to see spiritual things and earthly things in this earth realm. See, since this is the only realm we see, we have to make part of it spiritual. So we have our spiritual things on earth…you know: some things are spiritual, and some are not. But you see, the fact of the matter is, Paul does not say "spiritual things"; he just says "things on the earth". "Set your affection not on the things on the earth." Whether they are spiritual, not spiritual, good or bad… things in this realm, Set your affection on things ABOVE, not ON the things ON the earth. He does not say "things OF the earth", because then we would have the liberty of saying this is OF and this is not; this is earthly and this is not; this is spiritual, this is holy, this is bad. No, he is not dividing things on earth into two categories; rather, he is eliminating them altogether! You say well, some of us will not too soon want to be delivered from that. You see, The Cross works deep in our hearts, folks. Ah, The Word of Truth is like a two-edged sword. It does not just cut away some deeds. It goes deep and divides the very cutting asunder of the soul and the spirit: Adam from Christ, old from New. It just keeps cutting. It does not just deliver us from the world, the spirit of the age; it delivers us from the earth. Set your affection, not on things on the earth – it does not matter what you call them; but on that which is in Christ Jesus. Why? Because YOU ARE DEAD! Verse 3, " For ye are dead…" Where? With Christ to the old realm. As to this you are dead, "… and your life is hid with Christ in God."

Romans 8:5-8 – For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Galatians 5:16 – This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Knowing By The Spirit

Now here is The Liberating Secret. I have gone all this lesson just to read these verses to you. Romans 6. Here is The Liberating Secret. We can say we are out from Adam, the old (#1), and in Christ, the New (#3). We can say that all we want to, but what is the secret of it? What makes it so? Why am I not in the first, the old? The temple is here, the world is still there, the earth is still there. I have skipped over so much. The earth has to do with being motivated by our five senses. Most of us only know God by hearing, tasting, smelling… five senses. They are earthly. They are not worldly. It is not worldly to know Him by the five senses, but it is earthly to know Him by the five senses. That is why Paul says, " Eye hath not seen, ear hath not heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9) That is why he says, " …for we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen." (2 Corinthians 4:18) He is saying we no longer live by the five senses. Why? Because the five senses will not teach you this Book; only The Spirit of God can teach you this Book. You have to be delivered from trying to know God by your five senses. We are not talking about sinners being delivered; we are talking about believers having a deliverance worked in their heart from the old, the first. They have been delivered from this place (#1); now that has to be worked out in their hearts. Yes, in their hearts, that they may "Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free…" (Galatians 5:1) That they stand in it – immovable; refusing to be brought back unto the bondage of Adam, of the devil, of the earth, or of the world; even in the earthly ways of knowing God. No sir, I will know Him by the Spirit, for to know Him by The Spirit is to know Him indeed!

Colossians 1:23 – If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.

Colossians 2:7 – Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding thereof with thanksgiving.

Liberating Secret – I AM IN CHRIST

So here we are, brought into Him; brought into Christ. But what makes it so? What is The Liberating Secret? I AM NO LONGER IN ADAM, I AM IN CHRIST! All of this is still here. What is the secret? The secret is: I am not there. I am not there in the old, the first. The devil is there, the world is there, the earth is there, but I am not there! Where are you? I AM IN CHRIST! Well, how can this be? Here it is: Romans 6:6, " KNOWING THIS". There must be a KNOWING. Folks, I tell you again, "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) And The Truth revolves in the putting off of the old and the putting on of the New; the reckoning dead what is dead indeed, and the reckoning alive what is alive in Him. This is the knowing of The Truth as it is in Jesus. Knowing what? Knowing that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin…" That is not talking about his piece of flesh. You search it out. It is talking about the federal head of sin, the power of sin; this whole place of the old (#1). This is the body and the power of sin. "… that the body of sin might be destroyed (that whole creation), that henceforth we should not serve sin."

The Old Man is Dead

Tell me how God delivered Israel out of Egypt. It was NOT by all the signs and wonders, as real as they were. It was by the death of the Egyptian firstborn that He delivered Israel out of Egypt. Israel went through a blood splattered door, went through baptism in the Red Sea, went in as many and came up as ONE. The land and the people that they had become mixed up with came in there and was destroyed. The old man was destroyed, and they came forth in newness of Spirit. That is a type you understand, but it is all fulfilled in Christ. "KNOWING THIS, THAT THE OLD MAN…" Thank God that He did not crucify the devil, He did not crucify the world, He did not crucify the earth – HE CRUCIFIED ME! He took ME out, He took me out from Adam, the old, and put me at the Cross. This is THE LIBERATING SECRET. The devil goes on, the world goes on, the earth goes on, but thank God – I DIED! I am not here because I died. Thank God Jesus did not just get sick and then feel better. He went to The Cross and He put me to a death. And when this knowing is working in you, you will understand: you are no longer here, because you are dead. And the very next verse in Romans 6 says, "… for he that is dead is freed from sin." Oh, if we know then that we be dead with Him, we believe that we also shall live by Him, with Him as a New Creation. Why does the old realm not bother me? Because as to there – I am DEAD!

Exodus 11:1,5 – And the Lord said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence; when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

Romans 6:8 – Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.

The Debtor is Dead

Think of this – you are in debt over your head; you are in bondage, and you have a change of heart. You are not going to make any more debt, and you are seeking to be debt free. It’s like Christians, you know: you are not going to do that any more, you have been reformed. (Although Salvation is more than reformation, but you see the picture.) But you are still in debt. Now the worst thing I could do to your creditor is not come and pay off the debt and leave you there. You know, we sing this song, ‘Jesus Paid My Debts.’ I’ve tried to find that written in the Scriptures, and it is not written there. He did more than pay your debts! Now if I say I am going to come and pay off so-and-so’s debts, you say good, just pay them off. But if I come and say I tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to kill so-and-so. And you say – don’t kill him! He owes me money, and if you kill him I won’t have any power over him. Just make a little payment on it. Just pay some interest on the debt, but don’t kill him! No, I say I’m going to kill him. You see, the Law says, "Thou shalt surely die." The devil says, ‘Oh well (just like he told Eve), God did not certainly say that. Don’t think about that. God is a God of love. Don’t worry about that: God paid all your debt.’ No, God fulfilled the Law. Christ came and took you and me to the Cross, and as far as this realm is concerned – He killed us, and he that is dead is free from sin. He that is dead is free from the debtor. The devil stands there with a handful of bills that he cannot collect on! Do you understand that? This is Glorious Salvation! He was not paid off: we were taken out! He did not just come in here and do something to you and leave!

Hebrews 9:27 –And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Genesis 2:17 – But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 3:3,4 – But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Out By Death

He took YOU out of there, and He took YOU out of there BY DEATH, and there is no more claim on you. If you still had a life of your own, you would still have a claim on it. But you do not now have a life of your own, because Christ fulfilled the whole demand. He fulfilled the whole Law, but He did not pay it off – HE DIED. He took you and me and He put us to death, and that is how He broke the power of the devil! He crucified the captive! And then He brought us forth captive IN HIM! He led captivity captive. He brought us forth captivated in Him. And He is not a taskmaster – no! Now stand in the liberty, not the death; " …in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free."(Galatians 5:1); knowing that in Adam you are dead, dead and gone; but IN CHRIST, here it is not I, IT IS CHRIST WHO LIVETH IN ME. This is The Liberating Secret folks; knowing that the old man is dead to sin. How great is our liberty! It is unto Christ. We have been separated from all that is not Him by the surest means on earth – DEATH: His death, The Death of The Cross! We have been brought forth in Him by the power of God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now we live, but not I, Christ liveth in me, and we in Him!

Matthew 5:17 – Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Hebrews 2:14 – Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Ephesians 4:8 – Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

Ephesians 1:19-23 – And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power. Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 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: And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Galatians 2:20 – 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.

The Liberating Secret of the Cross must be worked out in us day by day. For surely if I claim I still have a life in this realm I am under debt to it; but my Life is IN HIM. Ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God.