In this study we will be dealing with The Nature of the New Covenant. We will define this Nature and see that it is not "better people" doing "better things", but is a different life and nature altogether by which we as believers do and must live.

Let’s begin to look at this:

Peter wants to begin this letter by establishing a very important point with those who will read it. He uses the phrase "through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" to assure them that what they have obtained from God is not earned but is theirs only through His righteousness.

How did we obtain this Life? Through the righteousness of ONE. It is only by that which He is and is made unto us that we can be made the righteousness of God. Where are we made the righteousness of God?

We are only seen to be righteous as we find that righteousness in the Person of Righteousness. This is the grace of God defined. Grace is the reality that we live by the Life of Another. We are known and accepted in the Beloved Son of God. We must grow in this Grace and understand with Paul it is Not I, but Christ. Most Christians think that they can somehow, as a result of their works, be righteous or holy, but we cannot be what only He is. Life is exclusive to Christ. Holiness is exclusive to Christ. Righteousness is exclusive to Christ. The "good news" is that He lives in us and we live, move and have our being in Him, so all that He is in us can be partaken of as we grow in the knowledge of Him. He is MADE UNTO us what God the Father demands of us.

God speaks to them concerning the work that He is about to do for them. Then he tells them not to say "in their heart, for my righteousness the Lord has brought me in to possess this land". God looks at the heart. Man can be fooled by actions and words, but God always looks at the intents and motivations of our heart. That is where Salvation must finally begin to have effect. If we see things of Christ in the scripture or hear tremendous truth concerning Him and it never affects our heart; what good is it? Salvation must become more than a statement of belief, but a true inner working of the Holy Spirit to establish our hearts upon the foundation of Christ and Him crucified. Let our mouths not speak what is not a reality in our hearts.

"Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land…" After the work is done do not say in your heart my righteousness has gotten me here. Most Christians do believe that they need Jesus to be born again, but after that they seem to think it’s all up to them to "stay saved".

We did not come to this "good land" by our works and we will not be allowed to stay as a result of our good works. We must possess or partake of Christ (the good land) as we walk in Him and comprehend by His Spirit the breadth, length, depth and height of His Person. If we can finally understand that our righteousness did not get us here, we can rest in the knowledge that our righteousness cannot keep us here and then we can get our heart fixed upon knowing Him. Then we can turn our hearts from ourselves and look unto Jesus and only then will we be transformed into His image.

Throughout the Old Covenant God desired for His people to have a "heart knowledge" of Him. He desired for them to cleave to Him and serve Him with their whole heart. He spoke through His prophets of those who with their lips praised Him, but were far from Him in their hearts (Isa. 29:13, Matt. 15:8, Mark 7:6). He spoke in Jeremiah 9:26 saying that the whole house of Israel was uncircumcised in heart. This, of course, was during the Old Covenant when the circumcision was of the foreskin of the flesh, but we see here that God even at that time desired the internal circumcision of the heart which is the sign and seal of the New Covenant and is a work of the Spirit of the indwelling Christ. In fact, we see that Paul defines the entire House of Israel as those who are not born Jews or who have the circumcision of the flesh, but those who have received the internal circumcision of the heart (Rom. 2:28-29). This is a circumcision that comes with our knowing Christ and Him crucified.

We saw previously in Romans 5:17-19 that in One Man ALL are defined. This was true in Adam and it is to the same measure true in Christ. As in one man’s unrighteousness and disobedience All were judged to be sinners and unrighteous, we NOW through One Man’s righteousness and obedience are judged to be righteous and given New Life in Him. So Paul said in light of this judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." They which live refers to us who live by and in Christ. This is the "nevertheless I live yet not I, Christ liveth in me… that Paul speaks of. The prerequisite of that though is "I am crucified with Christ". This must become an internal reckoning by the Spirit. When that reckoning comes in our hearts then we which truly live by Him will not live unto ourselves, but unto Him. This word "unto" struck me as I considered this verse. To live unto Him. To me this means much more than just trying to live for Jesus. This word is a very definite word. The scriptures say, "He who is joined unto the Lord is One Spirit" (1Cor.6:17). Paul said in Galatians 2:19 that through the Law he is dead to the Law that he might live unto God. These who live unto God are those who have truly reckoned all things as dung and have counted themselves to be dead with Christ to sin and alive in Christ unto God. They declare in their hearts, "Lord, you are not just the giver of Life, but you are my Life". Our eyes must become single and fixed upon Him and Him alone. There is nothing to look unto anyway beside Him. "Old things are passed away, BEHOLD all things are become new". Is this what we are "beholding"? Are our hearts fixed and our gaze set upon Jesus Only? This is living unto Him. Remember, this is a result of a judgment that takes place in us and constrains us. This judgment was in Paul who desired to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which was based only upon the works of the Law, but the righteousness which comes through the comprehension of Christ. Salvation is not based upon my righteousness, but it is established and fulfilled in the One Man, Jesus Christ and we are accepted in Him. How great is the Grace of our God.

Now let’s look at a portion of scripture that defines most of Christian religion today.

Paul had a great desire to see his natural brethren come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ as he had. He bears them record that they have a zeal of God.

The word "zeal" is from the Greek word zelos (dzay’-los) [Strong’s #2205]. This word means heat, emulation, jealous. It is from the root word zeo (dzeh’-o) [Strong’s #2204] which means hot, earnest or fervent.

The Jews were fervent and jealous of the faith of their fathers. They had even killed prophets, apostles and Jesus over it. Paul fought with this when he was brought before King Agrippa for declaring that the hope of Israel had come in Christ. They knew the Law and obeyed it earnestly, yet even at their best it was only an emulation of the True. You see, in our ignorance and self righteousness we think that being "Christ-like" is God’s ultimate goal for us, but if that was the case the Law would have been sufficient, because the Law was a testimony of the Holiness and Righteousness of His Son. Why was the Law so specific in its demands? Because it was declaring the Perfect One who was to come. It could not be out of order or less intricate and still present His flawlessness. So the Law is superseded by the coming of Christ. So how can being "like Jesus" be sufficient? It cannot in the Light of His Appearing. In His Appearing all the works of man are burned up and cast away. In His Appearing the Righteous One is seen. In His Appearing the Holy One is seen. In His Appearing the Living One is seen.

This is Paul’s meaning when He said that this zeal was not ACCORDING TO KNOWLEDGE. Is what we do and what we speak on a daily basis according to the knowledge of Jesus Christ? Paul continues, "For they (Israel) being ignorant of God’s righteousness". Knowledge and ignorance are diametrically opposed to one another, yet only one thing separates the two: SEEING JESUS! Knowledge is a result of seeing Him.

First, let’s look at the word ignorance.

It is the Greek word, agnosia

Ignorance is a result of non observance and non experience. Being ignorant of God’s righteousness is not misunderstanding some laws and ordinances, but is not having seen or observed the Righteous One and as a result of that seeing; experienced Him. How many of us have this religious form that emulates the works of Jesus yet we do not have an internal knowledge of His Finished Work?

So that brings us to the term knowledge.

It’s from the word epignosis (ep-ig’-no-sis) [Strong’s #1922) which means recognition, full discernment, acknowledgement. Its root word is epiginosko (ep-ig-in-oce’-ko) [Strong’s #1921] which means to become fully and intimately acquainted with.

Knowledge is to become intimately and fully acquainted with. So their zeal was not according to an intimate acquaintance with Christ. So as a result of this ignorance they went about to establish their own righteousness. This is so much in line with the majority of Christians today. They have no "heart knowledge" of Jesus, so they go "their way" and attempt to establish a righteousness without a firm foundation; which foundation is Christ. I think it is noteworthy that Paul says that they go about to establish their own. If they were trying to establish something it must mean that they did not know that which was already established in Christ. A salvation founded upon man’s works is directly opposed to the Salvation which is eternally established in and by the work of God in Christ. Everything of Life is eternally fulfilled and complete in Christ, yet that is not enough. There must be an internal apprehension of that which is established (Phil. 3:8-12). If not we will try to establish something of our own and stamp God’s name on it. Salvation is partaken of in the knowing of Him who is made unto us all things pertaining to Salvation and not working to attain or retain it.

This is what is lacking today; an intimate relationship with the Indwelling Son of God. If we look back at 2 Peter 1:2-3 we will see that Peter tells his audience that the only means by which they can partake of the "all things that pertain unto life and godliness" is through the knowledge (intimate and full acquaintance) of Jesus Christ. This should be the cry of every one of us: "I want to know Him". This was the only desire of Paul.

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

He did not pray to know things or attain the attributes of Jesus. He didn’t just say let me know the power of His resurrection. No! His first and ultimate desire was to KNOW HIM! Remember the multitudes that followed Jesus while He was feeding them the loaves and fishes? Yet when the menu changed to His Body and His Blood, they left Him, but those who desire to Know Him will know him fully and that includes death, burial and resurrection. Remember knowledge means the complete and full acquaintance with His Person. Are we willing to truly know Him?

The word submission is very important when understanding Salvation. This is not a term of half hearted commitment. This is a term that implies an ultimate decision on our part to wholly give ourselves to another as those who have no life of their own and letting His Life and Nature Rule in our hearts.

We yield ourselves as those that are alive from the dead by reason of the Living One who lives in us. Let’s examine this word submission.

This is the word hupotasso (hoop-ot-as’-so) [Strong’s #5293] and it means to be under obedience, put under, subdue unto, to make subject unto, put in subjection, to submit oneself.

Now we can understand the definiteness of this term. This is a submission unto Death, even the death of the Cross.

Let’s look at the mind of Christ. Although He was one with God and indeed is God, He did not consider this equality worth holding onto when the end result would be not fulfilling His Father’s will. I will not take the time to tirade here but it is disturbing to me to see those whose great desire is to somehow get us equal with God; who are deceived to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because the enemy has said they will be as God instead of eating and partaking of that Life that was not only good but given to freely eat of.

Christ made of Himself no reputation, became a servant and being fashioned as a man humbled himself (submitted himself) and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Let this mind be in you. We must submit ourselves unto His Death. The fact is that God is not looking for our obedience because He has already found Perfect Obedience in His Son. God is looking for those who will wholly submit themselves to the Son’s obedience and share in His Cross that His Life and Nature may be made manifest in them. We are instruments of that which we decide to submit ourselves unto. It is our decision, but this is the submission that is demanded of us in the New Covenant. Life and Death are set before us: choose Life.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but eternal and are mighty through God for pulling down strongholds. Casting down imaginations. Imaginations means reasonings or conclusions. My do we have some reasonings and conclusions. Theological seminaries and religious organizations live on and are built upon man’s reasonings and conclusions and most have no scriptural validity at all. Yet the Cross (which is the weapon of our warfare) will invade our souls and tear down that which has set itself against God’s knowledge. Religion exalts itself against the knowledge of God. Religion is man trying to be what only God is through their nature instead of knowing God and living by His Nature.

The Cross at work in us will bring into captivity every thought (this includes all the high things and imaginations) to THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. I have read that phrase so many times and thought that it meant that God would bring us to be obedient to Christ, but that is not what it says. It says that it will bring every thought to THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST. We must be brought to and submit ourselves to HIS OBEDIENCE. We have seen that His obedience was unto the death of the Cross. We must let this same mind rule in us and come in our hearts to associate with Him in His Death, in order that we may live by His Life within us. We must lay our hands on the sacrifice and say this is my death and allow His death to work in our hearts. Then we can truly live by the Life and Nature of another: Christ in us.

The greatest need today is the revealing of Christ in His Body. Our hearts must be awakened to the indwelling Son. Our Salvation must cease being defined by a compilation of external experiences. Finally it must become for us who live by Christ an "internal apprehension of HIM" and finding in Him the substance of all things. Paul said that those external observances were only shadows, but the body (the original word is SUBSTANCE) is Christ. It is amazing how excited most get over the shadows and what is going to come one day, but it is not worthy even to be compared to the appearing of the Substance of those things and that appearing happens in us. Father, reveal your Son in me. This Life and Nature is not to be imitated, but it must be revealed in us that there may be a true expression of that Life and Nature through us who are His Body.

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Salvation must become more to us than Religious and Theological Ideology. It must finally come to be defined in and by the Person of Christ Himself. We see this in Luke 11:21-27, when Martha meets Jesus after the death of Lazarus. Jesus assures Martha that her brother will rise again. Well immediately Martha, as we all do at times, reaches into her theological handbag and pulls out a nugget. Not only was her idea of this raising of Lazarus future, but it had never gone beyond a doctrine that she had learned. Basically, Martha was trying to give Jesus a theological lesson. Then Jesus interrupted her religious diatribe and pronounced: I AM the Resurrection and the Life. He brought her knowledge of resurrection and life from the parchments of "old" to the "Person" of the new. This must take place in our souls.

The name "I AM" is a term which defined His Eternal Self-Sufficiency, yet not only does it define Him; it defines His Preeminence as it relates to His Union with His Body. Remember when He was dealing with Moses? He first declared Himself to Moses as I AM THAT I AM and then told him to declare to the children of Israel that, I AM sent him (Ex. 3:14). This was not only on Moses’ behalf, but was God relating Himself with His People. When Jesus begins His ministry, He comes declaring Himself as I AM.

We see in these verses and their context that He was not only declaring Himself, but He was also speaking of Himself in relationship to those who would by His living in them live by Him.

Whose bread is He? Whose Door is He? Whose Good Shepherd is He? Whose Way, Truth and Life is He? The answer is clear: He is all this to us His Body, the Church, yet we must internally apprehend Him as this. He is "I AM". He is "ALL IN ALL".

As with Martha, I AM must be revealed in us. He appears in our hearts and defines in us all things pertaining to life and godliness.

We must know the Person of Salvation, the Person of Life, and the Person of Holiness. When we see and know the Person who is made unto us all things, all things will go from a future guarantee to an eternally established present reality in the face of Jesus Christ.

We know absolutely nothing until He appears in us. Life cannot be comprehended until the Person of Life appears in us. Truth will not be known until the Person of Truth appears in us. Salvation will be a man centered institution until the Person of our Salvation is revealed in us. He must appear.

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would make the atonement for all of Israel. Upon his shoulders were two onyx stones which had the names of the tribes of Israel upon them (six on each) (Ex. 28:9-12). He also wore upon his breast the breastplate of judgment (this symbolized the judgment in which all Israel would share in his sacrifice). On the breastplate were twelve stones and upon each stone was the name of a tribe of Israel (Ex. 28:15-21). Israel was united with their high priest in every aspect of the atonement. Here is the point. When the atonement was completed and all things were finished was that the end? Yes it was the end for the work itself to be done, but what about the assembled and expectant people of Israel? Did the high priest send a messenger to tell the people of the "finished work". No! The high priest himself had to appear before they knew anything. The work was done and they were accepted of God, but they were as ignorant as could be until the one "in" whom they were accepted appeared. He finished the work "for Israel" in his appearing! He defined Salvation for them. Do you see this? It is not enough that the Work of Christ is eternally done; our High Priest must appear in us. He who is our Life MUST appear.

Remember, this Life is not hidden from us, but is hidden for us in Christ. Let us set our affection (notice this word is singular) upon Him for it is the Father’s pleasure to reveal Christ our Life in us.

His appearing in us is so vitally essential, because we are talking in this study about the nature by which we as New Covenant believers are to live. A Covenant is an understanding that God gives concerning His Son. The Old Covenant was written on stones and parchments, but the New Covenant is written (revealed) in our hearts by the Spirit of Christ.

The New Covenant

I want to begin to define what I mean by the phrase The Nature of the New Covenant. This New Covenant is not about a better human nature, but is a New Nature, the Nature of Christ, at work in the believer.

First let’s look at the phrase "not according to the Covenant that I made with their fathers". The New Covenant is not new in that it has a different intention, but in that it has been brought from the stones and parchments of the Old now to be written in our hearts. God’s desire has always been the same: ISRAEL IS MY SON. He desired a Son and to be glorified in the increase of that Son in those who live by Him. The Old Covenant did this by external means, yet the New Covenant does this by the Indwelling of the Very Son Himself. The Law could only speak of the Nature of the One to come; it could never produce it. We now have the very Nature, Life and Substance of that Son in us. That Son, that Covenant must be revealed in us. The New Covenant, therefore, is not an external entity given of God to subdue or restrain our human nature to obey certain laws and ordinances, but is the Nature of God’s Son at work in us that our souls might be transformed into His very image. This will result in our living in this earth as His Body: those who live only by Him.

The Barnes Commentary says, "the laws of the Hebrews pertained mainly to external rites and ceremonies; the laws of the New Covenant would relate particularly to the inner man and be designed to control the heart."

Remember, "I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts." How does God "put" these laws into our hearts? He does this by revealing that Divine Law (Christ) and Nature in us. We don’t have a natural law now, we have Life! We have the Living One, of whom the law spoke, in us. Yes, there is a law at work in us, but it is not the law of sin and death; it is the Law of the Spirit of Life (Rom. 8:2).

In Exodus 12:49, God declares there to be only ONE LAW, by which all men should live. If they were to be recognized as an Israelite, they were required to live in accordance with the letter of the law. No one had their own little law that they lived by unto themselves. So it is with the New Covenant. There is ONE LAW and ONE NATURE by which all who live will live: The Law of the Spirit of Life that is in us.

The difference between the Old and the New is the Spirit of Life Himself dwelling in us. Israel was dealt with by external means because they were missing the essential element: The Spirit of Christ within. That’s what was missing in the Old Covenant: the Spirit of Life. They had the testimony of Christ, yet they did not have the Spirit of Christ within. That Spirit of Life was spoken of by the prophets many times, but now is fully realized by Christ dwelling in His Body: the Church.

And it shall come to pass afterward (compare the afterward in this verse to the afterward in 1Cor. 15:46), that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.

All Things of Life and Godliness

This brings us back to 2 Peter 1:3-4, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (Refer to Eph. 1:3-5)

All things of Life and Godliness are given unto us by His Divine Power. The Power of the Indwelling Son has made this so. Notice that Peter writes this as a definite: "hath given" and not a future hope. Now how do we partake of this reality? We partake of it through the knowledge of HIM. Not by looking up the definitions of Life and Godliness, but through an internal apprehension of and an intimate acquaintance with the Person of Life and Godliness. Divine Power is that Power of the Indwelling Son who worketh in us mightily, as Paul described (Col. 1:29). This is the Power which is not only able to subdue the natural body to obedience, but subdue and transform the soul into His very image in order to display His nature and character. (Phil. 3:12) We now have this Law of the Spirit of Life constraining our hearts in order that we may walk in newness of Life (Rom. 6:4). What is new? To what is this term "newness" referring? Life! The newness is Life Himself dwelling in a people. That is the newness we may now walk in: HIS LIFE! (Col. 2:6-15) Yet if we see the context of Romans 6 we see that this Life is only walked in by those who have reckoned in their hearts, by the divine power of the Spirit of Christ, His death to be their death and His Life to be their only Life. So this Law of the Spirit of Life doesn’t only constrain the works of our hands, but the motivation of our hearts. This is the Law which is at work in those who live by Him: the Nature and Life of Christ.

Exceeding Great and Precious Promises

Peter goes on in this portion of his letter and says we are given exceeding great and precious promises. How? Through the indwelling of the One in whom all promises are yea and amen. This is the "better" promises of which Hebrews speaks. In fact, this covers the whole theme of that "better" of Hebrews. Not another set of better promises with another future fulfillment, but the promises made better, exceedingly great and precious because they are come in Christ. He is now our more sure Word of prophecy (notice the term word is singular and not plural – Refer to Heb. 1:1-2 – we see the Word in whom all words are fulfilled). One commentator said that Peter was expounding to them the joy they should have due to their being given greater and more heavenly promises, but that is totally incorrect. Peter established all of this upon the knowing of Christ. He puts Christ as the central object and substance of these exceedingly great promises. I previously said that this speaks of the "better" and we see that the better is synonymous with the "Second" or the New Covenant and we know that the Second or Better is only established with the coming of the "I AM" (Heb. 10: 7-10) and it must be so in our hearts.

This name "I AM" is really growing in my heart and I believe we have just begun to comprehend the all consuming power of I AM. I believe we will begin to hear this name more and more in and by those who are truly knowing Christ, because I believe that this reality of which we are dealing depends totally on the appearing and knowing of I AM in us. We are, after all, dealing with the Nature and Life of God Himself and this must not be defined by who we are but I AM who is in us.

The Divine Nature

Now, let’s begin to look a little closer at this term Divine Nature. First, the most important thing is for us to realize that this nature of which we are, in Christ, make partakers is Divine. IT IS THE DIVINE NATURE.

Divine is that which proceeds from God. Not from as apart from, but as that which flows from Him and in substance is Him. It is the very essence of God and is exclusive only to God. In other words, this is not what God does, but who God and only God is. This is why this Life and Salvation is only comprehended through the knowledge of Him and not by understanding certain things that God does for us.

You see, we are not Divine and, although this may come as a shock and be devastating to the religiously exalted among us, we will never be Divine. The only thing Divine is the Life which is Christ in us.

Being in Christ does not make nor is it making us Divine. Being in Christ makes us able to partake of HIS Divine Nature. There is a tremendous difference between those two understandings. Yet, as I have previously said, only one thing separates those two understandings: The Seeing of Christ.

Are we seeing ourselves as candidates for the throne or are we seeing Him high and lifted up? Are we seeing ourselves being made anything or are we beholding Him who is made unto us all things of spiritual reality? Are we trying to live a better life for Jesus or are we knowing Him as our Life and allowing His Nature to flow through us?

You see this? He has made us accepted in the Beloved. By His grace we are able to partake of His Divine Nature and live by Him and that is our only hope for Life at all.

If we would grasp this truth in His face we would see the utter foolishness of trying to be like Jesus and just finally submit to His death and allow His Life and Nature to live through us. We are after all His Body!

Not Attributes

We are not dealing with gaining the attributes of Jesus. Most of us just want the attributes or characteristics of Jesus. We want to love people more, treat people better, tell them, "Jesus loves you and so do I", and what ever else we deem as Jesus like behavior. We want a semblance of Him. We want the form yet most of us deny the power of the indwelling substance of Christ.

Since this Nature is Divine it has nothing to do with me at all. Doesn’t that sound familiar; did not Paul say it this way: NOT I, BUT CHRIST WHO LIVETH IN ME?

Most of us think Christianity is that God has made or is making me a better person. God is not interested in renovating our nature, but He is very interested in revealing His Nature in us, that we may be transformed and live by His Life. Religion wants a makeover, but God wants a takeover, so that our boast may be in Him and no flesh will glory where HE is present.

Of God and not of us: is not that a tremendous definition of New Covenant Life. We have come to this place. We have come, by Christ, to where all things are of God (2 Cor. 5:17-18). We have come to where Christ is ALL and in all. We now live where Christ is preeminent (Col. 1:13-19). You see, when Salvation begins to be revealed in our hearts it becomes very singular. Our eye must become single. Christ must become preeminent in our hearts. This brings us back to I AM. I AM defines everything that is real. I AM becomes the substance and circumference of Salvation and not ourselves. We find our Life in I AM LIFE. We find our Righteousness in I AM RIGHTEOUSNESS

We spoke previously concerning Martha coming face to face with I AM. Let’s look at what Jesus said to Martha. "I AM the Resurrection and the Life". Do you see what Jesus is saying? Remember, this raising was not only about Lazarus, but was a type of the whole of Israel being raised in and by Him. Lazarus’s death was unto glory. So this statement is very important for us, the Israel of God, to understand. I AM the Resurrection. We will shout about that and say Lord raise us up, but we want to be raised so we can have a better life, a justified life, a good and holy life, but still our life. Yet we see that He is not only the Resurrection (the raising up) but He is the Life. What does that entail for us? Christ is not only the raising up, but He is our Life and the LIVING thereof. That we would see Him this way is the necessity of our souls. In Revelation chapter one, John sees Him standing as the Son of Man which shows His union with His Body, His Church, His New Creation and He declares Himself as: I AM HE THAT LIVETH. The New International Version reads: "I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." I AM the LIVING ONE. This rendering of the text is verified by the Revised Standard Version, the American Standard Version, and the New American Standard Version. He declares Himself not only as One who lives, but as THE LIVING ONE. Do you see this as the Son of Man in the midst (in union with) the candlesticks (the Church) He is the ONLY LIVING ONE and they who are in union with Him live only by Him who is their Life. Here we see the Church defined as those who live by the Life of I AM.

Seeing this should make us appreciate the simplicity and eternal stability of Salvation. Christ is the substance of it. That’s how emphatic it becomes in our hearts. The what ifs and the one days become superceded by I AM.

We must understand and as we continue on to know the Lord we will understand that there are no gray areas in Christ.

No variableness or shadow of turning. There is not yea and nay in Christ but Yea and Amen. There is no room for our personal interpretations.

There is Life or Death, Light or Darkness, Truth or Lie.

That is the absoluteness of it. There is no room for debate. I am either living by the Life of Christ or I am trying to live my life and tagging God’s name on it. It’s that simple. He is our Life. In Him is Life and no where else. Let us turn to see Him and submit to His Life within. We have to cease trying to measure up to God’s standards of Salvation; turn our hearts unto Him and finally see Salvation defined and fulfilled in the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.

How Can A Man?

We see that in John 3:1-6, Nicodemus wrestled with this issue. "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. 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? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

First, we see that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He was evidently a member of the Sanhedrin and a prominent leader of the Jews, so he knew the law. He tells Jesus that he believes that He is a teacher sent from God and even calls Him rabbi; which was a title of respect for the religious teachers of that day. Jesus upon hearing this says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Nicodemus immediately answered this way: John 3:4, 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?

Do you see this? His answer is: "How can a man…" Like most of us, Nicodemus wanted to relate to Life in the New Covenant with an Old Covenant mentality. He still saw man. Jesus is dealing with a New Birth, a Birth from above, yet Nicodemus still tries to find himself there. Listen to his words, "How can a man be?" Notice that Nicodemus did not just throw out the idea of this "new theology", but he wanted to see how he could be a part of it. Some with whom I have spoken concerning Christ were excited about the "teaching", but when they come to understand that this is not a teaching but a Life and is in fact a Life that is not our own, they seem to just lose interest. They just want God to show them principles to appropriate in order to live for Jesus. Is not that our usual response to Him when he comes to us to show us our need of Him? We shout back, "HOW CAN A MAN?" Just like Mary when confronted with giving birth to the Son of God, her first response was, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?" (Luke 1:34). What is the angel’s answer to her? He said, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee" (Luke 1:35). This is a work of the Spirit of Christ in us. It is not by might nor power, but by His Spirit (Zech. 4:6). Let’s examine our prayers. Most prayers are probably filled with: "How can I be holy, God", "How can I live Godly?" etc. The answer is man cannot, but God is. Yes I said that correctly, because we are not dealing with what God does, but who He is. What man cannot do, Christ is. I cannot be righteous, but Christ is my righteousness. I must live by the faith of the Son, knowing that I am nothing and I have and am only what He is made unto me (1 Cor. 1:30).

If you read the answer of Nicodemus you can see that He was trying to define the "second" by natural means as well. We all try to bring ourselves over into Christ, but the Door (which Christ is) has blood on it. This is where man ceases and Christ is All. This is where we live by Him or we do not live. The second is always associated with Him only.

There is so much here, but when they heard the declaration of the Father, "This is my Son…" they fell on their face and Jesus touched them and said, "Arise". Then it says they lifted up their eyes (Refer to 2 Cor. 3:18) and they saw NO MAN, SAVE JESUS ONLY. They were raised by Christ and when they had lifted their eyes (or turned their hearts) to behold Him, they saw NO MAN; they saw JESUS ONLY. This is what will happen to us who live by the Life of Christ when the Father declares HIM in us. We will see and only desire to see Jesus. We will lift our eyes and live continually with open face beholding "He who is our Life". What a glorious view! That is the view that will transform our souls and bring forth through us a genuine expression of Christ.

Flesh and Spirit

Now let’s look at the answer Jesus gave to Nicodemus. John 3: 5-6, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

Here Jesus makes the ultimate distinction as only the Living Word can. The Living Word will judge between the soul and the Spirit. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Jesus tells him that flesh will always be flesh, but those who are born of the Spirit of God are of the Spirit.

We did not have to try to be earthy, but we manifested who we were by natural birth. To the same measure, being in Christ is not an attempt, but an inner comprehension (the Covenant is in us) by the revealing of Christ and a Life that flows from that understanding. Notice that the Second Man is not described as of the Heavens, heavenly or of the Spirit, spiritual. Why? The Second Man, which is that which comes forth in Resurrection is only defined by the One in whom they live.

The Second Man IS THE LORD FROM HEAVEN. He is the measure of His House. He is the identity of His Creation. This brings us to the Seed factor.

The Seed Factor

The Seed (Christ) {Gal. 3:16} in us makes us who we are. We are only what the Seed in us is, because the Seed always defines the harvest. God does not bring you beyond being born again. Many have created these levels of Salvation and preached that there is a first level which is being born again; then there is a greater level and a greater level after that. God does not bring you beyond new birth, but He is ever revealing in us the reality of that new birth and that reality is defined in the Person of our Salvation.

Immediately when most read this verse they look at themselves and consider this to be an impossible task, yet it is not a task at all. Remember, it is contingent upon being born OF God. Remember, Nicodemus? "How can a man?" Most say, "How can I not sin? That is impossible." For you it may be, but sin is totally against the nature of the Seed within you.

The J.B. Phillips New Testament in Modern English translates this verse as follows, "The man who is really God’s Son does not practice sin, for God’s nature (seed) is in him, for good, and such a heredity is incapable of sin."

We must understand that John is speaking here of one who has been born from above; one who has truly come to a NEW birth. This man has come from his natural birth (and all that pertains to that) to a birth and heredity that is beyond all things natural. This new birth in its essence and substance is Spiritual; it is of God and not of us. This man’s existence is bound up with a New Birth, a New Life, and a New Heredity all together. Life for this one who is born from above is not dependent in any way upon him, but upon the Seed or Nature that is within him. He is totally dependent upon that life and nature of which he is a partaker through new birth. He is dependent upon the Seed of God that dwells within Him.

He has, by a work of the Spirit in his heart, reckoned himself dead unto sin and alive unto God by the Life of the Seed within Him. For him old things are passed away and he lives daily beholding the One in whom all things are become new. He is totally dependent and submitted unto that Life, that Seed, and that Nature that is in him and it is that Life, Seed, and Nature of God within him that defines who he is in his heart just as it does in God’s heart. He has come to know even as he is known of God. This is a man who has come to see his end and who truly lives by the Life of another: NOT I BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME.

We are of a New Heredity! All things for us who are born from above are defined in Christ who is the Seed of God in us. We must understand that this verse is not written in view of man, but in view of The New Man. This Seed (Christ) is incapable of unrighteousness because He is Righteousness. We must find our source in the Seed for He is our Life.

The Vine/branch Relationship

Does that not define New Covenant Life? "Without ME you can do nothing." Again we are dealing with "I AM". I AM says, without me you can do nothing.

The word without is the Greek term choris (kho-rece') (Strong’s #5565)

which means: at a space, i.e. separately or apart from, beside, by itself, without.

Isn’t it sad that most today live with this "without" mentality? We are in Christ yet we live daily in a separation from Him in our hearts. We go about our religious lives just longing for a day when we will be taken from this world to a "better place" and finally are with Jesus.

I have seen dogs that have an underground fence and after a while they are trained to stay in the boundaries that are set. Yet when the shock collar is removed I have seen them still abide by the boundaries that were set when they were restricted by the collar. They are free to roam beyond those boundaries yet in their mind they are still bound.

We do not need a change of our "natural surroundings" or "natural circumstances", which is the greatest motivation of "going to heaven", but we need a change of heart.

We need to find our "being" in Christ and ABIDE there; finding our source and substance in Him. Until we are truly established in our hearts where we NOW ARE, which is in Christ the True Vine, we will always desire to go or be somewhere else.

Until we comprehend the GOOD LAND in which we dwell, we will always seek a "better place". There will always be a greener pasture or something that to our eyes seems more pleasing and as a result we will walk as strangers in our Promised Land.

Let’s not be in the state of Jacob in Genesis 28:16 who cries, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not." May this not be our present state of being. May our souls be occupied with looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith. May we not walk blindly with the "without me" mentality, but live in view of Him in and by whom we now live. I remember so many times before Christ was revealed in me saying to God, "There must be something better or something more." Yet, when the Father graciously revealed Christ, I saw the BETTER and I saw the MORE in the face of Jesus Christ. From that point I never desired anything else, except to know Him and my soul is at rest in knowing that in Him I move, in Him I live, and in Him I have my being.

Our need is to Abide in the Vine for apart from Him we can do nothing.

Abide is from the Greek word meno (men'-o) (Strong’s #3306) It means to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy): abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, stand.

To abide is to stay and continue in this relationship into which we have been brought. Truly abiding is a result of counting all else as lost and finding our eternal residence in a new "place" of dwelling. To abide in Christ is to totally be dependent upon Him as our source and the substance of all things. Abiding in Him is defined as being clothed upon with our House from Heaven (2 Cor. 5:1-4). In Him we Abide.

Partakers of the Root

The firstfruit is the part of the harvest which comes up first. It is that by which and in which the whole of the harvest is identified. You can see this in the Feast of Firstfruits in Israel. Christ is our Firstfruit (1 Cor. 15:21-23). He defines the whole. The Church is not defined by what He does for it, which is the measure of most, but it is defined by who He is in it. Salvation is not defined by what Christ does for us, but it is defined by who He is in us. If our Firstfruit is holy, the Church being the lump of that Firstfruit is holy. If our Root (Is. 11:10, Is. 53:2, Rev. 5:5, Rev. 22:16) be holy, the branches are also holy. Do you see? This has nothing to do with us. It is the Firstfruit that makes the lump holy. It is the Root of the tree that makes the branches as well as the fruit holy. We can only be that which He is made unto us. If he is holy, we are holy. Not separate from Him, but as we abide and find our source in Him. The branches cannot produce any fruit except the substance that is in the Root is working in them. Then the fruit produced will be an increase of the Root through the branches and not an effort of the branches. We must examine our hearts. Are we by our own efforts trying to live and just do things for Jesus or are we submitting to His Life in us and allowing His Life, His Nature and His Character work through us. As those who abide in the Vine and are partakers of the fatness of the Root, there is the requirement of fruit.

The Root is the branches source of Life, nourishment, and purpose. The only purpose the branches have to exist is to bear fruit. We have no other purpose, but to manifest the Life of our Root who is Christ.

Fruit is not something we produce (John 15:5). Fruit is not a work. Man does works in His religious ignorance, but he that is knowing the Lord bears Christ’s fruit (Gal. 5:19-25). We see in 2Peter 1:5-8, the continual growing that takes place in the believer who is knowing Christ. These are not separate aspects of Salvation, but speaks of growing in the Knowledge and Grace of The Lord Jesus. For what purpose is this growing up into the Head in all things? That we be not barren or unfruitful. Unfruitfulness by the branches is a reproach to The Root. Fruit is an automatic expression for those branches who have truly found their source and substance in the Root (Vine). We also notice that the One who is glorified in this fruit is the Father. He is glorified with the increase of the Nature of His Son; the Precious Fruit that is in these earthen vessels which He has patiently waited for (James 5:7). In that He is glorified. We think He is pleased and glorified with our good works and deeds, but I only recall Him being pleased with One: THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED (Matt. 3:17, 17:5). We must find our pleasure and that fulfillment in that One as well.

We are partakers (refer to 2 Peter 1:4 – partakers of the Divine Nature) of the Root and the Fatness of the Olive Tree. God has done his part. Christ is in us. We are now obligated and it is upon us to partake of Him, to eat His flesh and drink His blood. If we be in Christ, we must of necessity partake of Him in order to live.

Romans 11 says that the branches which were grafted into this "good tree" were wild by nature. So did God lay hands on the branches and cast that old, wild nature out of them? No! First, He "cut them off" from their previous source. Second, He grafted them into "the good tree" and "the True Vine". What must we as the branches do? We must forget and count as dung the old things which are past and from which we have been translated and seek only to be found in Him not having our own but that which flows forth from Him and is Him.

There is a beautiful verse in Hebrews that I think sums up what our understanding of Life in the Root (Christ) should be.

Let’s remember that these are people under the shadows of the Old Covenant. They had not been given the "substance" (Heb. 11:1) of that hoped for, yet they saw a far off that "better country". The New Testament in Modern English says, "their eyes were fixed upon their true homeland". Where are our eyes fixed? Where are our affections set? Are they set on that better place of residence which is above? Not to go there someday, but to presently with our whole heart abide in heavenly places in Christ. The verse says that if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out.

You see, they had come out. They had set their hearts upon their TRUE homeland. There was a separation that took place in their hearts. For us this separation is called The Cross. The work of the Cross in our hearts is essential to our abiding in the Vine/Root and bringing forth His fruit.

Fruit (the Nature of Christ) only flows from those who are dead unto that out from which they have come and live only by this substance (fatness of the olive tree) of Christ within.

The scriptures say that they were not mindful. They did not even consider that former place a suitable or pleasant place to reside. Why? In their hearts it was dead. It was not even in their minds, for they had set their hearts upon the greater. Since they were not mindful of it, they did not even have an opportunity to return. Now, we know that they could have returned physically to that place if they wanted, but this is a matter of heart. Because of the work of faith (refer to Gal. 2:20) in their hearts, there was not even an opportunity to return. This faith must be active in our hearts. They couldn’t even consider returning because in their hearts there was not even a "former" place to which to return. To those who have submitted themselves to Him as their End and Beginning there is no opportunity to return, because when He is their Life what else is there to return to?

In Job 2:7-10, Job’s wife, looking at all the things coming upon him, told Job to curse God and die. There Job was sitting in ashes and scraping boils from his feet. He had lost it all (refer to Job 1). To his wife he just looked silly and she would rather he keep his dignity, tell God where to get off and die. Then Job looked at his wife and said, "thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh (v.10)." You are just talking foolish talk, woman. My heart is fixed upon the Lord and though God slay me, yet (nevertheless) will I trust in Him! (Job 13:15) Job did not care how foolish he looked and for he was not mindful of all he had lost and because of this did not even consider the thought of His wife’s foolish proposition. The verse goes on to say that Job did not sin with his lips. Why is that important? It is important because out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. He did not sin with his lips because his heart was set upon seeing the Lord and not upon his present circumstances.

The Savour of Christ

As the Body of Christ we are to dispense the savour of the knowledge of Christ. We are not to try to establish something of our own, but express all that He is in us. He is in us and to whom much is given much is required. These verses say that we are a savour of Christ to God and to those who are saved and who perish. What does this mean?

Let’s go back to Exodus 12 to look at this. God was about to bring His people from Egypt, but before that took place they had to do something.

First they had to kill a Lamb (without blemish). I think it is noteworthy that they had to assemble together and kill it themselves and that God did not just put a dead lamb in front of their door. We must see that we are also responsible for the death of the Lamb and are not without fault.

They then had to put the blood of the lamb on the door posts. You see they had to walk through the blood before they could begin to eat the lamb. They had to walk through the bloody door (His Death). If they were to have hope of living they had to walk through the blood of the lamb.

They were then commanded to eat the lamb. Not just parts of the lamb, but the whole lamb. We must partake of THE LAMB. We must not only walk through the Door with blood, but once inside the Father’s House we must eat with haste (Ex. 12:11) the whole Lamb. I can’t just be satisfied to know certain aspects of Him and base my understanding upon that; I have to know and eat all of Him. If they were to be in the earth what God had declared and accepted them to be: ISRAEL IS MY SON, they had to eat the whole sacrificed lamb. It says they had to eat the purtenance. That word means the inner most part (qereb (keh'-reb) (Strong’s #7130). What an intimate partaking this truly was and is now for us! We must partake of His inner most part and abide in His inner court.

If we are going to be the savour of Christ in this earth we must not only be those who have the Divine Nature, but those who are PARTAKERS of the Divine Nature. That is the only way we will be unto God a sweet savour of Christ. The sweet savour is a reference to the savour of the sacrifice that would rise to God and would be a sweet smell to Him. If we are to be that savour of Christ, we must partake of Christ crucified.

During that night the angel of the Lord came through and smote every firstborn of Egypt. Do you see this? To those that partook of the Lamb, it was Life unto Life and to those who did not (Egypt) it was death unto death.

We are to do ONE thing: Eat the Whole Lamb and Partake of all that He is. The Nature of the New Covenant is His Nature at work in and through His Body, The Church. This is our Life! We are not to act a certain way so that people will think we are "spiritual". We are to be occupied with eating His flesh and drinking His blood that we will manifest in every place, in every situation, and in every circumstance the savour of HIS knowledge. Notice this is not about telling people our knowledge of Jesus, but displaying, as His Living Body, HIS KNOWLEDGE in every place.

Manner of Life

We have stated that the New Covenant is an understanding given of God, by the revealing of His Son in us. The New Covenant is Christ in you and so the Nature of the New Covenant is Christ Living in and being expressed through His Body.

With every understanding given of God, there must be a corresponding manner of life. In the Old Covenant (understanding) they were waiting upon one to come and they were adhering to laws and ordinances in order to please God. That was their manner of life.

The sad commentary is that most Christians still live in this comprehension of life. This is how they know God and one another.

Now, what should be the manner of Life in whom the New Covenant is revealed? I believe we can sum it up with one very powerful verse.

This is the declaration of one who has truly come to the understanding of New Covenant Life. Not I but Christ liveth in me! This must not only become our statement of faith, but must become our only manner of Life. This is not another doctrine, but it is a manner of life that flows from those who live only by the Nature and Life of the indwelling Son of God.

May the Lord deal with our hearts and give us His understanding.