THE LIBERATING SECRET OF CHRIST

The Reality of His Appearing

We are not involving ourselves with the study of eschatology in any way, shape or form. I am dealing with the reality of His appearing in His House now. So let us turn to the book of Malachi before we start and just say a word of introduction that will help draw our minds together. How many of you know that we must be of one mind and one accord before the Spirit of God can do anything in our midst? So to draw our minds together in this study, I want to read from Malachi 3. This is the appearing that I am talking about, this appearing in His Holy Temple: not His appearing to take it away, but His Appearing in it to cleanse it first, to make it like unto His own Glorious Self; His Appearing in His Tabernacle, His Appearing in His Temple, His Appearing in His People, His Appearing IN YOU. Amen. Malachi 3:1,2, " Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap." It is not talking about casting away: it is talking about His Appearing. Listen to verse 3, " And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." Glory to God! "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in the days of old, and as in former years."

Philippians 2:2 – Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.

Full Working of The Holy Spirit

Oh you see, this is speaking of a time of His Appearing in The Church. This is speaking actually of the full working of the Holy Spirit. Now Jesus says in John 14,15 and 16, leading up to John 17, (Diagram #1) that "When the Spirit of Truth is come ye will know that I am in my Father, that you are in Me, and that I am in you." (John 14:20). Secondly in chapter 15 He says, "When the Spirit of Truth is come, He will testify of Me." (John 15:26) Where? Where is He? HE IS IN YOU! "He shall testify of Me, and you also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning." (John 15:17) You shall bear witness of Me. And in John 16:13 and 14 he says, "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." This He speaks of the full working of the Holy Spirit, which is to reveal Jesus Christ in His followers, to reveal Jesus Christ in His Church, to reveal Jesus Christ in His Holy Sanctuary; that He in His glorious Appearing may do in actuality what He did in type in the gospels. You know what happened when Jesus came to the Tabernacle in the gospels, don’t you? He walked into the Temple, and He cleaned house! You see, He did not set the thing in order; He emptied it out. You and I just want Him to set us in order; we want Him to arrange what we are doing in a better order. He won’t do that! In His Appearing He just casts everything out but HIMSELF! What He did was so in type of what He would do by His Spirit through His appearing in His own Temple. You see, that wasn’t His Temple: it was a type of it. It had been desecrated by the ministry of man. It had been desecrated by the abominations, It had been desecrated by filth, and He came in there and cleaned it up. And what He ran out of there was MEN. He ran out the ministry of man. He overturned the tables and turned the doves loose, but He chased all the men out, thank God! And He alone stood there in His Temple. And the scriptures say the people came to Him, and He healed them. And the people came to Him and He sat down and taught them. This is His Appearing that we are talking about. When Christ is revealed in you, His Holy Temple; when He is revealed in you by the Holy Spirit as only the Holy Spirit can do, there is a Liberating Secret.

John 2:14-16 – And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Mark 11:15-17 – And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

Matthew 21:12-14 – And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

Luke 19:45-47 – And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him.

The First Man Adam

Now we want to look at something. 1 Corinthians 15:45 is where we will start. "And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul." All right, we are going to diagram that: (#2) the first man Adam. The first man Adam was a soul. Of course we know that he was also a body because it was made out of dirt. Well, the first man Adam was made a living soul. Here we have a body. We have a living soul. We have the body of Adam and we have the soul that God gave Adam. At this particular time God was still on the outside speaking to Adam in the cool of the evening. He was on the outside, speaking to Adam. And Adam at this particular time was without sin. He did NOT possess Eternal Life. He had not eaten of the Tree of Life that he might live forever. So he was not in possession of Eternal Life. He was in that state of innocence. He was indeed a living soul; God breathed into him a living soul. And the scripture says that " The first man Adam was made a living soul." And that is what Adam was. Adam sinned. He sinned by way of transgression; and when he sinned, his soul became dark without the Light of God and his soul became deaf unto the Voice of God. He could not see and he could not hear, as it were, and he came into the awareness of his sin. So what happened was that Adam, instead of becoming GOD conscious, became SIN conscious. There was a consciousness of sin in Adam that made him ashamed, and he ran and he tried to hide himself from God, and he did cover up his body. But God wasn’t looking at his body anyway. God was in fellowship with his soul, not his body. And God could no longer commune with Adam. Adam in fact, could no longer hear the Voice of God in communion. Now he could only hear the Voice of God in conviction; that’s all. Communion was gone. You read your Bible: there was no more walking in the cool of the evening. What happened?

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.

Psalm 103:14 – For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

Genesis 3:8,10,22 – And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden…and he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself…And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever;

God Visiting Adam

First I can imagine Adam walked, and he heard the Voice of God, and it thrilled his heart. And it thrilled Eve’s (I look at Adam and Eve as one.) And it thrilled his heart. And he ran out, you know, to meet the Lord and to commune with the Lord and to know Him as God was at that time revealing Himself to Adam; which was very much from the outside. God came and left, came and left, came and left. We might say He came in experiences in the cool of the day, and Adam enjoyed His presence in the cool of the day, and the Lord as it were, withdrew Himself. Now that’s the Truth. The Lord as it were, withdrew Himself and He would come again and He would visit Adam. This is the picture that we have in the garden. It is a shame that it is still the picture that we have in the Church today! It is a shame that we still have to gather together in the cool of the day just to experience the visitation of the Lord.

The Soul Became Dark

But you see, I got a little ahead of myself. But this is the way Adam knew God, and this is the way God would reveal Himself at that time. Now God had fully intended a greater revelation of Himself or He wouldn’t have put the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. It was there; the Tree of Life was there. Adam just never got around to eating it. So God came and talked to Adam. But look, there was a time when the same God came, same Voice; but there was a difference in Adam this time. Instead of running out to meet the Lord and having joy in the fellowship of the Lord, now… Isn’t it odd; how that at first the Voice brought joy, and then the Voice brought condemnation? The same Voice he used to run and be glad to see, now he ran and hid from? What happened? Was God different? No, we know better than that. Did something change about the Voice? No, it was the same as it always was. The change was in Adam. The soul became dark, the soul became conscious of its own sin, and now the Voice of God doesn’t bring communion. It brought conviction, and Adam ran and tried to hide from God. But you can’t hide from God, can you? He sewed leaves and covered up the nakedness of his body. But as I said, God didn’t care about that anyway. He was looking into the heart. He was looking into the heart of Adam. He said, ‘You ate of the tree that I told you not to eat of, didn’t you?’ Oh sure, the Lord questions, but He knows the answer before He asks the question. But what He said in fact was, "You did what I told you NOT to do, didn’t you? You did exactly what I told you not to do, and the cost is what I told you it was going to be." And so it is that Adam fell away from God, and went into sin. Now all right, but that’s not the end of the picture here.

Genesis 2:9 – And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:2,3,7 – And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; 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 eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

The Last Adam

But the last Adam was made a life-giving Spirit. "However that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven...And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." (1 Corinthians 15:46-49) Now we have something else that comes into this picture. Here is the state of sin, cut off from God. There was as it were, a barrier between Adam and God, and he could no longer hear the Voice of God; God could no longer commune with Adam. Now we come to SALVATION. Whereas "the first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam (who is the Lord Jesus Christ) is made a life giving spirit." (1 Corinthians 15:45) So we can draw a picture of a born-again believer (diagram #1). A born-again believer is not only soul, but he is spirit, life-giving spirit. And who is that life-giving spirit? The scripture says that it is CHRIST HIMSELF Who is made a Life-Giving Spirit! But look here; here is the shame of it. Just like in the natural there was a veil put up between God and Adam so that this natural body could no longer see into the realm of God, and no longer could God deal with this natural body as He one time could; there was a veil put up there.

The Veil

Let’s read in 2 Corinthians 3:12, "Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech. And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded…" Not only that, but his soul was blinded as well, as the scripture speaks of this here. "…their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord…" What is that? THE HEART! "…when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." (see Diagram #1) Now we are going to stop there because we see here a picture of a veil. A veil that is upon the heart: which veil is done away in Christ in the rending of His own flesh. It is a veil that hides the Glory of God from the soul; a veil that hides the Glory of God from the heart. That is the veil that is being talked about here. And we find that this veil has been removed in Christ: there is NO such veil in Him. We talked about that in our last lesson. " You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) The Truth shall make you free, but most only know Christ in a half-truth. The veil still remains on their heart and they are blinded to the Glory of God that is in them. How many of you understand and know that most people think that Salvation is just being restored to the place that Adam was – before he sinned? They think Salvation is just being restored so that we can be like Adam was before he ever sinned. Folks, Adam was JUST a living soul! That’s all he ever was! Adam you see, never had the Life-Giving Spirit. He never ate the Tree of Life. He was a living soul; that’s all he ever was. That’s all the Bible ever says that he was.

Salvation Through The Senses

Now, most people’s idea about Salvation is just this. God is still on the outside; once again able to speak TO me through one of my five senses. Now if you are hearing me, you know I am telling you the truth. And what we know of God comes in through our five senses; and our soul as far as the true Glory of God that is in us, remains dark. I didn’t say it was in sin; I said it still remains dark because of this veil that is upon the heart. And behind that veil is the Glory of God. It was typified in the Tabernacle. Right behind that veil is the Glory of God. And in verse 18 we see that very glorious truth, " But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Exodus 26:33 – And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

Leviticus 16:2 – And the Lord said unto Moses, speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

Our Understanding of Salvation

But here is most people’s understanding of Salvation. There is nothing wrong with your Salvation, but with your UNDERSTANDING of it. Every born-again believer is here IN CHRIST. But how many actually KNOW that they are? How many really know The Truth? How many stand in that realization? Not many. Not many have come to the liberating knowledge of that Truth. Most think they are still over here IN ADAM. Most you see, are still struggling with the devil, struggling with the world, making problems where there shouldn’t be any problem; giving recognition to things they should give no recognition to whatsoever. And if their mind was occupied; if their heart was occupied with the fulness of God in Christ, they wouldn’t give attention to those things any more. Well that’s what we call "walking by faith." The faith walk, you see, is not learning through these five senses, but having The Truth revealed by The Spirit of God and walking in the knowledge of The Spirit. Faith walk is not just getting things out of God: Faith is that God-given ability by which you walk consistently pleasing the Father.

Romans 6:3,4 – Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

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

Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith

There is a greater purpose for faith than just getting something out of God. If you will just seek the Kingdom of God, God will give you all these things that you need. You don’t have to exercise great faith to get them – just be OBEDIENT. He will give them to you. But we try to replace obedience with what we call great faith, you see. We don’t want to seek the Kingdom of God, but we want the Lord to meet all of our needs. We don’t want to seek the Kingdom of God, but we want Him to heal us when we get sick. We don’t want to seek first the Kingdom, but we want Him to keep us in good clothes, a good house, and a good job. We don’t want to seek the Kingdom, but we want Him to save all our unsaved loved ones. But, if we will seek the Kingdom, God will give us these things. He knoweth you have need of them before you ask. "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness…" Now that is faith. Faith you see, seeks the Kingdom of God. Faith seeks to know Christ and His fulness. Paul said, "…the life that I now life in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God…" (Galatians 2:20) That is not just faith IN God, or not just faith that there IS a God, but that’s the faith OF God – working in me.

Matthew 6:32,33 – (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Faith – An Inner Relationship

Now folks, most believers do not understand their spiritual side. They still think that this is all there is to the picture: that faith is something that they direct up here to God somewhere, so that God can do things for them. They have no idea that Faith is to be an inner relationship; an inner reality of a Living Christ. They don’t understand that, so what most people know about God, they know from God speaking TO them as from the outside, and they feed their souls that way. It’s no wonder then that most people are self-centered in their religion. This body can only give you earth consciousness. Your five senses can not see beyond what you can feel or hear or taste or smell. That’s it. And that’s all most people know about God: what they hear with their ear, what they feel, what they see, what they touch. Is that not real? It is real, but is it NOT TRUTH; it is not all that there is of God. It is an earthly consciousness of God, and most Christians only have an earth consciousness of God. No wonder then, that everything begins to center around themselves. Their idea of Salvation is: ‘I don’t have to go to hell.’ That’s about it. ‘I am not going to hell, now I am going to Heaven.’ And you ask them about Heaven, and they will describe Heaven to you in terms that this body right here can understand. They will describe it to you in terms that any man can understand. They will tell you that they just want ‘a little cabin in the corner of Glory-land’; just whatever their body can understand. That is what their idea of Heaven is all about. And so, everything begins to be self-centered. And even when they try to serve God – the only means they have of service to God is the same means by which they at one time served the devil. It is the only means they know about. Once they gave their bodies to the devil; now they give their bodies to God.

Luke 17:20,21 – And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Salvation is More Than "Not"

But there is more to Salvation than just not going, not staying, not doing, not wearing, not participating. There is more to Salvation than that. You know, "Once I used to go to the honky-tonks; now I go to such-and-such a church." I am telling you that this falls far short of what true Salvation is all about. But we don’t know that. You see here is a soul that is crying out for reality. Here is a soul that says, "I love God." Here is a soul that is saved from sin, that is saying ‘I long to have fellowship with God; I want to know God. Surely there is something more to it than this. You know I have gotten every experience in the body that I can get, and it still leaves me wanting to know God. What’s wrong here? I don’t go to these places any more; I go to Church, but there is still something missing. What’s wrong here?’ The Church is full of these kinds of believers: Holy Ghost filled believers who still only know this side of the picture. How to serve God? And all they know to do is NOT to do! To them God is still outside of them. The only way they know to draw near to Him is through some kind of special feeling that they can get from time to time. That’s all they know. Well, I thank God that Salvation is a spirit, soul and body affair. I thank God for the feelings that I can get; yes I do. I thank God for every experience that my body has ever experienced; but oh, to think that this is all there is to it is disappointing. You see, even in the pureness of the Garden, God came to Adam, and then He went from Adam; He came to Adam, and then He went from Adam. It was visitations that Adam had with God. And most people’s idea of religion today is visitations from God. One of our favorite cliches is, ‘Oh, didn’t God come down in our midst tonight?’ God doesn’t have to come down anywhere! HE DWELLS IN YOU BY HIS SPIRIT! But you see, we betray our understanding. You say, Oh brother, those are just words. Well, those words come out from our understanding. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34) Those words come out of our understanding. We really have a comprehension that God came down in our midst rather than that He was manifested in us, and even our bodies you see, experience that.

John 14:23 – Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

Colossians 1:27 – 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.

God In Us

Most of us don’t have a real comprehension of our relationship with God. It is still like this Garden thing. In the cool of the evening God comes, and He goes, and He comes and He goes. We must come to understand more than that, because it was at one of the times that God was NOT Present that the devil came to Adam and said, ‘Did God really say?’ Oh dear friend, God wants a people today not that He just speaks TO; but that He is continually speaking IN. God wants a people today that can say, " Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world." (1 John 4:4) Not He that is off in heaven somewhere behind the stars; greater is He that is IN ME than He that is in the world. We say that, but we don’t understand what we say. We say that and then turn right around and our concept of God is NOT that He is in us, but that He is off somewhere from us. And here I am, trying to get through this day, struggling, and praying and doing everything I can just to get through this day, just to get some place where I can get into the presence of God! And yet – He is IN ME all the time!

Genesis 3:1 – Now the serpent was more subtil than any beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Salvation is An Indwelling Person

Folks, my heart bleeds for the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ because of the absence of Truth; because of the veil that is still upon our hearts that keeps this soul from knowing the true Liberty of Salvation; that keeps this soul from knowing that Salvation is not just an experience that I have received in the body to where I no longer commit sins, but that Salvation is an Indwelling Person. He doesn’t come and go; HE ABIDES! You see, we hear these things and we agree with them, but we don’t get hold of them. We don’t seem to lay hold on it to where there is a union between the soul and the Spirit. You do know that they are not the same. But there must be a sameness come about them. There must be a union between my soul and the Indwelling Christ – in Truth. There must be a linkage there, you see. I hope you’ve seen it, because the soul seeks for God. But because of traditional teaching the soul seeks God through the avenue of the senses. The soul says, ‘Lord, just give me another blessing; just give me something. My Lord, I’ve got to make it through the day. Lord, just give me something. I mean, if all else fails, just give me a sign. Give me something just that I’ll know you are there. Just that I’ll know…’ Now this is not a sinner praying. This is a Christian praying! ‘I just want to try to know you more, Lord.’ Some of you probably have prayed this way too. I know you have. ‘Lord, just give me some kind of a sign. Lord, I want reality. I am not doubting that I am saved; I know that you are my Lord. You have forgiven me of my sin, you have healed me. But I need to know you are there, Lord. Just some how… just some how.’ See, the soul is just looking out through the senses (#3) because the Truth is not being taught. "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) There is a Liberating Secret that the Holy Spirit wants to reveal – not to us as from outside; but He want to reveal IN US. That there will be an INNER knowing, an INNER reality, an INNER strength that will begin to control, not only the heart and mind, but will have its manifestation out through the flesh as well.

2 John 4 – I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

3 John 3,4 – For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Romans 10:6-8 – But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above;) Or, Who shall descend into the deep?(that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach.

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.

Body – Soul – Spirit

Now there is a truth that you need to just get hold of and let the Lord teach it to you, and rehearse it with you from day to day. The body was never created to know God. The body was created to SERVE God. The soul was created to KNOW God. But in and of itself, the soul does not know God: it knows self. It is self conscious. Your own heart…"What man knoweth the things of a man save… I know the King James Version says "spirit", but it is translated "sutro", which means his soul, his own understanding, his own heart. "What man knoweth the things of a man, except the heart of the man that is in him? But the things of God the spirit." (1 Corinthians 2:11) That is translated, "the Spirit of God knoweth the things of God." You see the soul is designed to know God, but the knowledge of God is in the Spirit. This is important: The knowledge of God is in the Spirit. All the fulness of God is in the Spirit; all the knowing of God is in the Spirit – IN CHRIST Who is in you! And as long as the soul is designed to know God, designed to have fellowship with God, designed for the Word of God… Yes, designed for the Word of God – designed to see, designed to hear; but as long as the soul is trying to find God out through the avenue of the senses, as though God is still outside, the soul is limited in its understanding of God.

Experiences Cannot Contain God

The soul can understand as much as the body can comprehend; in that way. Yes sir, and God can miraculously move upon the body! My word! I have had experiences that would stand the hair on your head, and you probably have too. But He is moving on that body and there is only so much that you can understand from that, because it comes… and it goes. And I have wondered why we can get such a blessing and can be knocked down in the Spirit and rolled over and all those things; and then it seems like the next day God is off in a vacuum somewhere! It is because your experiences cannot contain God. They just can’t do it! And your soul you see, cannot come to the Living Knowledge that it thirsts after through those experiences. Although the experiences are a part, and though they are real, but the body was NOT designed to learn God or to know God. The body was designed to serve God. These eyes that I have were not designed to see God; they were designed to see FOR God, these ears designed to hear FOR God, this tongue to speak FOR God; but I have some more eyes that are designed: the eyes designed to see God, the ears designed to hear God. " He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear…" (Revelation 2:7,11)

God Has Moved From Outside to Inside

I pray you understand what I am telling you. But the searching has to stop being from the outside, and begin to be on the inside; because you see by The Spirit, God has moved from the outside to the inside. He is no longer speaking TO you; He desires now to be revealed IN YOU. How? In the Person of His Son. By His own Holy Spirit, He desires to be revealed IN you. He says, ‘I am going to have Me a people, and I will not write My Word to them upon stones any more, but I will write My Word in their hearts. I will be in them, and I will walk in them, and I will speak in them, I will live in them, and they shall know me. Not by the avenues of flesh; not by experiences. No sir, they shall know Me in and by The Spirit, and they shall live as My People. Their bodies will become instruments of righteousness, rather than instruments trying to figure out God.’ That’s true. That’s what The Lord says.

John 14:17,21,23 – Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you…He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him… Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep by words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

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.

Hebrews 1:1,2 – God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.

Jeremiah 31:33 – But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Hebrews 8:10,11 – For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

2 Corinthians 6:16 – And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The New Birth

So let’s look now at THE NEW BIRTH. In the first place, John says it is an actual birth that takes place, not just an experience. Yes, we have experiences, thank God. How many of you came to an old fashioned altar? I wept my eyes out. I cried my heart out. But I am thankful that Salvation was more than that because that has been a lot of years ago. Something happened to me beyond tears. Something happened to me beyond repentance. Something happened to me beyond godly sorrow for sin. There was a birth that took place in me. Oh, the first man Adam was a living soul, but could only know God through the area of the senses; but now, you and I… The last Adam is a LIFE-GIVING SPIRIT! There has been a New Birth. Nicodemus says, ‘Well, what is all this? " Jesus says, "Well, YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN." Nicodemus got hold of this thing but he didn’t understand it. He understood more than most of us understand, though. He understood that Jesus was talking about a birth; He was talking about a real genuine birth.

John 3:3,4 – 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. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born?

Nicodemus said I don’t understand this. How can I be born again? Can a man enter into his mother’s womb and be born again when he is old? How can this be? He didn’t translate that into some kind of experience. He knew that BIRTH was the issue here. Jesus said, ‘Well, you misunderstand Me. It is a birth. It is a very literal birth, but NOT a flesh birth. It is not YOU being born another time. It is NOT a rebirth of Nicodemus: it is the Spirit birth of the Firstborn Son of God. It is God moving from the outside to the inside. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6) Oh, this Last Adam is a Life-Giving Spirit! (Diagram #5) And for the first time this person becomes a whole being. He becomes what God intended that he become from the very beginning. He becomes spirit, soul and body. But it is not some kind of a human spirit that we are dealing with. IT IS CHRIST HIMSELF DWELLING THROUGH HIS ETERNAL SPIRIT IN THE BELIEVER! It is true dear friends; it is a real birth! 1 Peter 1:23, "Being born again, not by corruptible seed…" That is the first birth. "…but by the Word of God that liveth and abideth forever." This is the second Birth and the Second Man!

One Seed

This birth then is of A SEED. Now we are getting on down to the heart of the matter, because Paul recognized and gave us to know WHO this Seed is; not WHAT it is. Galatians 3:16, " Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is CHRIST." And yet the miracle of it is (verse 29), " And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise." Not seeds – but SEED, ONE Seed! We are many souls here today, but we are only One Seed; we are many members, but we are only One Body. Oh, we are many sons, but we are only One Birth: the Birth of ONE SON. SALVATION IS THAT ONE SON BEING BIRTHED IN YOU BY THE SPIRIT. The Seed which is Christ! And Paul says it is, " … Christ in you, the hope of glory." (Colossians 1:27) And again Paul says, " I am crucified with Christ…"(Galatians 2:20) You say, what happened to the old Adam? What happened here to the Old Adam? THE CROSS took its effect in me. "I Paul, am crucified with Christ, yet I live; but it is not me that lives any longer. It is CHRIST living in me." It is NOT Christ touching me on the head and blessing me: it is Christ LIVING IN ME. It is not some kind of pseudo-academic understanding of being a better individual. No sir, it is the understanding that I am crucified, and Christ Himself lives in me. You see, to be crucified means that I have NO Life but the Living Christ Who now lives IN ME. I simply have no other Life but HIM! I live because He lives in me. It is not soulish; it is Spirit and Spiritual. Glory to God! It is not me trying to be a better intellect. It is not me trying to be more righteous. It is CHRIST IN ME, the righteousness and the wisdom and the sanctification, the redemption of God. And 1 Corinthians 1:30 says, " For of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

1 Corinthians 12:12 – For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

Philippians 1:21 – For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

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.

Christ Lives In You

Somebody says, ‘Well, we are the righteousness of God.’ No, read that verse again. You are the righteousness of God IN CHRIST. It is all IN CHRIST! In Christ there is none but Christ, for He is all and in all, and in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, nor bond nor free, circumcised nor uncircumcised, etc; but Christ is all and in all. You are what Christ is made unto you. That’s what you are because He lives in you! There is a Liberating Secret in understanding this. It will liberate you. The whole theme that we are talking about is based on the understanding of Galatians 5:1, " Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Understand that Christ lives in you. Blessed be The Lamb of God! He lives in you. Christ in you, the hope of glory, The New Man. Did you notice in 1 Corinthians 15 where it says that the fist man was after the earth, earthy? The first man, this living soul was after the earth – earthy. But the Second Man… did you notice that scripture? I noticed that one time and I just fell down and wept and wept. I just wanted to beat on the floor! I felt like my body was just going to burst and go in different directions. I shouted, I screamed, I hollered, I danced. I got hold of this thing! Paul said, " The first man…" That’s ME! That’s my verse; he that is born of the flesh. The first man is made a living soul. That’s me any way you paint it: the first man, Adam. But the Second Man! The Second Man is not an earth man made over. He is not an earth man taught how to quote scriptures. He is not a man taught how to think better thoughts. He is not an earth man taught how to control himself. The Second Man is The LORD from heaven! Glory to God! The Lord from Heaven moved into His House! The Lord from Heaven living in His Own Body! I am not after a blessing this time, Father. I am not after a feeling this time, Father. I am not after a Word from God this time, Father. This time I want THE WORD revealed in me. I don’t want it to appear anywhere: I want The Word to appear IN ME. This time Father I am not just after a feeling. No sir, this time I want to see Jesus as I have never known Him before. I want a face to face relationship with Him. This is what we were meant for.

Colossians 3:11 – Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.

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

John 1:1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

With An Unveiled Face

Let’s look at this in 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face…" Your Bible says "open face". Face that is unveiled. Face – what? The face of our soul. (Diagram #7) This face. What new face? Jesus says you have ears to hear. Paul says you have eyes of understanding. This face, the soul; the face of your soul. It is not this natural face that can’t see God, because He is Spirit, He is invisible. We can see things that God has done, but we cannot see God. This face; this face that can see God. This is the face that is designed to see God. Oh yes, when this face turns, the veil is done away. "…with open face beholding as in a mirror (the vision of God) the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." (Diagram #6) Oh let me tell you what that means. It means that this soul looks into the Spirit, and it is like looking into a mirror. The soul looks into the Spirit and sees itself. But it is not this self, it is this Christ. Well, now that is hard to understand, and I say it poorly. But the soul looks and sees for the first time its true identity. It has been looking out this way, through the senses; and now it looks this way, INTO CHRIST, and for the first time this soul sees its full Salvation! The soul sees its full righteousness. The soul sees its Life! Who is it that the soul is seeing? It is seeing Christ The Indwelling Son! It looks into a mirror, but instead of seeing the old face, it sees The New Face. Do you know what face it is? It is the face that 2 Corinthians talks about.

Ephesians 1:18 – The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

John 4:24 – God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Colossians 1:15 – (Christ) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.

2 Corinthians 3:16 – Nevertheless when it (the heart) shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

Seeking The Glory of The Lord

Look at 2 Corinthians 4:6. Folks, it is the same face, I tell you. We are looking with an unveiled face into the glory that we see, the Glory of the Lord. Who is the Glory of the Lord? "Christ in you, the hope of glory…" (Colossians 1:27) Christ in you is the expected glory, He is the Glory of the Lord in you. The veil comes off your eyes and you see Him. For where is He? He is IN YOU! That’s where I see Him; that’s where I know Him. I look into the face of my Life. I look into the face of my righteousness. I look into the face of my not only soon coming King, but my King Who is now come, and abides in me! I look into His Face, and my soul rejoices; and my soul is changed into that same image; for my soul, you see, begins to reflect the joy that He is, the identity that He is. What does that mean? It means that my soul is filled up with the knowledge of Him. Look at 2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined (not into, not from outside – no.)…hath shined IN our hearts…" Here it is. He hath shined in our hearts; He shines from within. What does He do? He reveals His Life, He reveals His Son Who is The Life. And the Life, the knowledge, the reality, the revelation, the realization of Christ in me fills up my soul and my soul is satisfied, because it is better than it was in the Garden! God is not walking beside me. No, He is IN ME! He is not speaking to me; He is speaking IN ME! He has moved from without to within. He is appearing in His Temple, He is appearing in His Body. He is appearing in this member. "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God…" Where? "in the face of JESUS CHRIST." We behold Him as face to face. What a beholding! Our soul beholds its Spirit of Light. Our soul beholds Him Who is the very Life of our soul, the very Redemption of our soul, the very Salvation of our soul, the very wholeness of our soul. Our soul beholds Him in a way that experiences have never been able to teach us. Oh, the Spirit of God reveals Him in us!

Colossians 3:4 – When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

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.

Living As His Body

And once we begin to take on His Mind (because that is what it means), we are changed into His same image. It means we begin to take on the Mind of Christ. Our soul begins to be filled with the light, the knowledge, the wisdom, the understanding of the Mind of Christ. Well now, having the Mind of Christ, don’t you think we are going to begin to live as The Body of Christ? Oh yes! You see, that is the reason that most believers don’t live as His Body now; because they don’t have His Mind. They have the mind of another; the mind of Adam. So we try to live as the body of Adam. We don’t sin… we just try to live as the body of Adam. We are still trying to live without sinning. You know, most believers’ biggest goal in life is to live without sinning. Oh, but if we understand that we are His Body, the biggest goal is NOT to live without sinning. No, the biggest goal is to live as His Body, being about His business, doing His Works, manifesting HIM! Do you understand what I am talking about? The goal now is not just to not sin: the goal now is to MANIFEST HIM! O Glory to God! Jesus didn’t get up every morning and say, ‘Oh, I hope I make it through the day without sinning.’ No, He got up every morning to be about The Father’s business, and I am telling you when the Mind of Christ; when He Who is in you appears in your soul; when He fills it up with Divine revelation; when the Light of His Life fills your soul, you will begin to know The Mind of Christ. And you will present your members as instruments of righteousness. Not as a way or a means of righteousness, but instruments of righteousness. In other words, you begin to present them as instruments, as members of this righteousness; you begin to live as His Body. Not your body… HIS BODY; because you understand it in your heart, not just in your brain. You understand in your heart: I am crucified, but He now lives. It is not my life, it is not my body; it is Christ in me, the hope of Glory (Colossians 1:27). It is Christ living in me; not far off from me – He lives in me. How do you know? Because He is appearing in me by the Spirit. And the Bible says in Romans 8:16, "The Spirit himself beareth witness with our hearts that we are the sons of God." It is the LIBERATING SECRET OF HIS APPEARING.

1 Corinthians 2:16 – For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:27 – Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

Ephesians 1:22,23 – 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.

Luke 2:49 – And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?

2 Corinthians 2:14 – Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Romans 6:19 – I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

Romans 12:1,2 – I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 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.

Seeing We Have This Ministry

Let’s just look at 2 Corinthians 4:1. Now you understand that when Paul wrote these letters under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that he did not write verses and chapters, etc. He just wrote a letter. And when you write a letter you don’t put in verses and chapters: you just write a letter. And these are epistles, letters written to the Church. Now verses and chapters are all right just to associate things, but the point is that the thought continues. "Therefore…" Now, why did he start a whole chapter with the word "therefore"? That links it with what has just been said. 2 Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." Therefore… because we see Him… because we come with open face, because we see the Glory of the Lord and are changed into that same image. "Therefore, seeing we have this ministry…" What ministry? Well, what have we just seen? We have just seen Christ in us the hope of glory. That’s the ministry! "Seeing we have this ministry…" And I don’t care what you call yourself: I don’t care whether you say you are an Apostle, a Prophet, a Pastor, a Teacher, a Janitor, a Sunday School Teacher, a Deacon, an Elder… I don’t care what you call it. HE IS THE MINISTRY. You are the body, He is the ministry. "Therefore seeing we have this ministry…" It is not just me out here trying to do something, hoping that God up here is going to give me strength. "Seeing we have this ministry…" It is not just having it: it is SEEING that we have it! SEEING. The eyes of our understanding being enlightened: seeing that it is Christ in me. " Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not…" Oh that doesn’t mean that the body doesn’t get tired. It means the soul doesn’t quit. It means the soul doesn’t faint. It doesn’t mean that we don’t get weary: it means we don’t get weary in well doing. Why? Because it isn’t my life: it is Christ’s, and He is an endless source of Life, an endless source of Anointing, and endless source of flow. This old body has to lay down and rest, but the Christ in me is never at rest! Twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty five day a year He is in communion and fellowship with God the Father! " Therefore seeing we have this ministry, we faint not."

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 – Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

Ephesians 4: 7,11 – But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ…And gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.

2 Thessalonians 3:13 – But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

Hebrews 7:16 – Who (Christ) is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Psalm 121:3,4 – He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Seeing

You see folks, I am someone who has had to bring too many missionaries back off the field. We send them over there ill taught, ill prepared (you forgive my crudeness of speech), dumb as a doorknob: a zeal of God, but no understanding. Here they go and all they are seeing with is the senses. And they get to their station and their five senses meet some circumstances they have never seen before. All of a sudden, it is not a lovely surrounding and lovely buildings and lovely food; and the people that they thought they loved are not loving them. They look at all that garbage, and all that mess, and their understanding of God is that He is off up here somewhere. And all of a sudden their zeal falls out the bottom of their feet! And all of a sudden it is, ‘What in the world are we doing here?’ Then it becomes, ‘Nobody cares about us, or they wouldn’t have put us here.’ Then bitterness springs up and soon you have people who want to come back home. Do you know why? They never saw this ministry. They never saw that we are not alone; that we are never alone. We have been looking in the wrong place! HE IS IN ME! HE IS IN ME! It’s not me that’s here: it is HE that is here. You want to find me?

Liberated From The Fainting Syndrome

Look at The Cross. I am crucified; and He is the One that is here. It is not my body; it is His Body. It is not my ministry; it is Christ in me. It isn’t my life; it is Him. And I am not alone, I am part of His whole Body. I don’t care what these eyes see, I have a great cloud of witnesses surrounding me saying, ‘Hold on, go on, run the good race.’ I refuse to try to know God through the senses when I can see Christ IN ME. I am telling you there is a Liberating Secret, and as it is seen, it will liberate you. Look at what it does. The first thing: it liberates you from the fainting syndrome. You are liberated from seeing things that the flesh thinks are too hard, too much, too this, or too that. No sir, you just know it is Christ. Thank God you know if you are liberated from fainting. You may get tired, you may get disgusted in the natural; you may get a lot of things, but you won’t quit. You won’t even think about quitting. Why? Because it is not my life; it is Christ’s! And nobody may listen to me, but one thing they can’t do: they can’t stop me from serving Him! You can’t stop me from laying down my life. I understand that my Life is Christ. You can’t stop me from laying down my life. There is no place to quit!

Hebrews 12:1,2 – Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of 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.

Philippians 4:11-13 – Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound; everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Liberated From False Theology

The second thing: it delivers them from false theology. 2 Corinthians 4:2, "But have denounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness nor handling the Word of God deceitfully." Now, how would you handle the Word of God deceitfully? "But by manifestation of the truth commended ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God." You handle the Word of God deceitfully when you preach something other than Christ. You handle the Word of God deceitfully when you bring people into bondage to something other than Christ, some other holiness than the holiness of Christ. You go forth preaching circumcision instead of preaching The Lord Jesus Christ as the circumcision of your heart, and you handle the Word of God deceitfully. We are not talking about a bunch of sinners; we are talking about a bunch of believers. But once you see Him, you are never going to preach another righteousness but HIM! Once you see Him, you are never going to preach another Life but HIM! ONCE YOU SEE HIM, YOU ARE GOING TO PREACH HIM! Paul said in Galatians 1:16, "… it pleased God to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach HIM…" Once you see Him, you quit handling the Word of God deceitfully. 2 Corinthians 4:5, "We preach not ourselves…" That’s what it will liberate you from! You quit preaching yourself and start preaching CHRIST. We preach NOT ourselves. Oh, so many want to preach themselves in place of Christ; want to use His Name, but preach themselves. I tell you folks, when you see this: here He is, here is the whole of it, here is the sum of it and we preach HIM. "We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ the Lord." Ourselves? "…and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake." Oh, there is a Liberating Secret of His Appearing!

Galatians 1:6-8 – I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Galatians 3:1 – O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

Ephesians 4:14 – That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

Galatians 5:2-4 – Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

Galatians 6:15 – For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.

Colossians 2:8 – Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

He Who Is

Now I want to go one more place. 1 John 3:1,2. Here is something that you are going to have to think about for a while. I want you to consider this in prayer. I want you to understand I am not bringing some new, strange doctrine to you. I am trying to declare to you by the Spirit of God that we are in a living union with Jesus Christ, and that He desires to appear in His Own Body. Now in 1 John 3 we see something that most people, for lack of any better explanation I guess, simply apply to "the Rapture". I am telling you that the depth of this scripture is NOT applied to the Rapture. I will tell you that the true coming of the Lord is the culmination of all revelation, but the Lord speaks of Himself as being HE WHO IS, AND WAS, AND IS TO COME. (Revelation 1:8) So now let’s understand He Who Is; because He Who Is, He Who Was, and He Who Is To Come – is now IN ME! you have to get hold of this by The Spirit. I want you to see this. " Behold, what manner of love the Father hath…" H-a-t-h; not "is going to", but "hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." Remember I told you we move out of time past into time present. "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be…"

It Does Not Yet Appear

Now to whom does it not yet appear? In other words, it is not yet revealed, it is not yet made manifest. What does verse 1 say? "The world does not know us because it did not know Him." Yet, that doesn’t change the fact that now, we are the sons of God; whether the world knows it, or accepts it, or sees it, or not. In fact, " It does not yet appear." To whom? To the world! It does not yet appear. It is not yet manifested as it shall be, who and what we are in Christ, and Who and What He is in us. The world hasn’t yet seen this, because God is still showing this to sons. God is still training up in His House, sons of God. The world can’t see, and the pitiful thing is that most of The Church has not seen either; but it is given to the Church to see. Jesus said, It is given to you to know these mysteries. I speak to these people in parables, but it is given to you to KNOW. Yet they didn’t know either. He said you are the ones who are supposed to know what I am talking about, These people are not supposed to know. It is given unto you to know. Paul says, " Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints."(Colossians 1:26) These things are now made known by His Spirit to The Church.

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

John 17:21,23 – That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me… I in then, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Matthew 13:11-13- He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables; because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

The Manifestation

Oh beloved friends, we are not the ones from whom it is hidden! It does not yet appear to the WORLD, what we shall be. The final manifestation, the final glory does not yet appear. The world doesn’t know us. They don’t know us because they don’t know Him. But we shouldn’t be in the same darkness; we shouldn’t be in the same ignorance. The Church should not be stumbling along just like the world is, still thinking that God is outside somewhere. No! That shouldn’t be our understanding; but rather to be living in union with Him daily, waiting for the Blessed Hope, waiting for the glorious MANIFESTATION: waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. That’s not a bunch of ‘manifested sons’, but the manifestation of sons, which is the coming forth of The Lord Jesus Christ in His fulness. Where? In His Whole Body! I am afraid we get too busy preaching about sons, and forget to preach THE SON. We get too busy preaching about the Kingdom, and forget that there is a King involved here. The world is not waiting for MY manifestation; it is waiting for HIS! Waiting for sons, waiting for The Body, waiting for those in whom Christ dwells – to manifest HIM. You are not going to manifest what is not revealed in you. The Church is not going to manifest a light it does not have. Now, we have the Life, but we have to have the Light. THEN you have fellowship one with another. Then you have the continual cleansing of His Blood and of His Life. Yes you do. Well, it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know… Look how it is written. "…but we know…we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him…" Now according to religion we are going to be made like Him. This verse doesn’t say that. " But we know…" WE know something. We know that "…when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (See diagram #7) Not as He shall be, but AS HE IS. What is that talking about?

2 Timothy 1:9,10 – Who hath 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 before the world began, But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

1 Peter 1:20 – "Who (Christ) verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.

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

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.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

See Him As He Is

Oh, it is talking about what Malachi said: He is going to appear. We are going to see Him as He IS. And, we shall be like Him. What do you mean "be like Him"? We will understand that here is my Life, here is my Righteousness, here is my Holiness. We will understand that we have no Life but Him. I am nobody’s body, but His Body! When He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is. And when Believers see Him as He is – in them, and grow up in that knowledge, then we shall manifest Him as He is, and the world shall see HIM. John says this in John 17: ‘Father, teach them, show them, that they are one even as We are one.’ Why? ‘ That the world may know that thou has sent Me." (John 17:21) I am telling you that you are His Body, and He has no other Body, and you have no other Life, and it is His desire to appear IN YOU, and to transform you into His image, to transfigure you into His likeness; that you and I – His Body, may manifest Him in the midst of the earth. There is no limit to the manifestation of Him!

Malachi 3:1 – Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.

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

Christ Revealed In You

Well, the Holy Spirit is come to reveal Christ in you. Let’s not see Him as we think He should be, or will be. Let’s see Him AS HE IS. When He shall appear… I see Him as One who was dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God. I see Him as One who has died once and for all unto sin; and I see Him as One over whom sin has no more control. I see Him as alive unto God. I see Him as the righteousness of God. I see HIM – I see Him as He is. I understand that what He is, He has been made unto me, and I am nothing but that which He has been made unto me. But, I am everything that He is made unto me; and yet, it is not I, but it is Christ Who is in me. It is not me in any shape, form or fashion, except me at the Cross: but it is Christ who now liveth! It is not me trying to be like Him: It is CHRIST living in me. He is revealed in me by The Holy Spirit. It is a liberating knowledge working in me. I have no Life but Him, no righteousness but Him, no calling but Him, no gift but that which is the fulness of Him, no ministry but Him, no business but Him, no purpose but Him. When you see His Body filled up with that, you are going to see the glorious Liberty of the children of God begin to set the creation free. AMEN.

Romans 6:9,10 – For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Hebrews 10:12-14 – But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

 1 Corinthians 1:30 – But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.

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.

Romans 8:20-22 – For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.