Spiritual Growth is from Heart to Mind to Heart (Part 3)

Spiritual Growth is from Heart to Mind to Heart (Part 3)

Paul's 9-church epistles, Romans to 2-Thessalonians, is a curriculum of spiritual growth and transformation for the grace believer. By studying the doctrine progressively, and in the appointed order as presented in our King James bible, it takes one from being a babe in Christ to an adopted and mature son of God, from being carnal, yielding to the flesh, to being spiritual, yielding to the Spirit of life, and from being ignorant of God to having knowledge and wisdom in spiritual things. In addition, there is one more thing the curriculum does when it starts to take effect in one's life. It slowly changes the heart. It starts with a work of faith, renewing the mind to trust in God and trust in the doctrine, but as a believer grows in faith, the curriculum starts to work a labour of love. 

What the labour of love is not!

Well, simply put, it is not your own good works. It is not even your love. It is a work of God that comes into operation as you become less, and the Word of God starts to take preeminence. So, forget about earning favour and credits by helping the elderly across the street (for example). The labour of love is not something you do by your own reasoning mind and good will. Doesn't Isaiah bluntly say, 

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Isaiah 64:6. 

I'm not saying that kind acts are fruitless, but I am saying that they are not the definition of the 'labour of love' which we are dealing with in this post.

The Words and the Spirit in the written Word

The Words and the Spirit in the written Word

Rom 2:25-29  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.  (26)  Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?  (27)  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?  (28)  For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh:  (29)  But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Studying the written Word is more than just reading scripture to learn about the message in the words themselves. Yes, there is important truth in the message delivered by the words, but one should also learn and partake of the spirit of God in the passage, which is found behind the words.

Let’s have a look at the above passage and, as an example, extract a basic learning and understanding from the words in the passage, but also learn something about God’s character and will from the spirit behind the words.

The Glory and Power of God’s Word within Us

The Glory and Power of God’s Word within Us

Paul provides some valuable insights into what will happen at our transition from these earthly ‘tents’ (flesh bodies) to our heavenly ‘building’ (spiritual, eternal bodies), 2Cor 5:1.

First, we must know that there are bodies for different purposes, for different environments, and which emit different levels of glory. Read the following passage to get the context,

1Co 15:39-43 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds. 40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory. 42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: 43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

What are all the resurrections of the end times?

The Bible speaks of two types of resurrections: (1) The Resurrections of the Righteous and (2) the resurrection of the Unrighteous. Jesus and Paul plainly declared two basic resurrections:

John 5:28 "for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned."

Acts 24:15 having hope toward God, which they themselves also wait for, that there is about to be a rising again of the dead, both of righteous and unrighteous; (Also see: Daniel 12:2)

The Stages of Christ's Ascension and Return (Part 11)

We have come a long way in this study, documenting the ascension of Christ and then His descent, illustrating how it is in symmetry. We have already covered how Jesus leaves the highest heavens and enters into that place of light, and calls home the Body of Christ in a silent rapture. Then, about three and a half years later, at the mid-point of the tribulation we have Jesus appearing in the clouds and the occurrence of the next rapture/resurrection of the kingdom saints and the tribulation saints. It is also at this point where war in the heavens occurs, where Satan is cast down to earth, and the throne of the Lord appears down into the clouds. It is from this position that the rest of Christ's judgements (the seven trumpets) and conquering will happen throughout the Great Tribulation (the second three and a half years).

A List of End Time Judgements

As the end of time draws near for this creation, (the time just before what Paul's refers to as the 'fullness of the times', Eph.1:10), every living being will be subject to judgement based on their individual motives and actions during their life and ultimately their faith in the existence of God and His Word. According to Hebrews 9 below, what one does during their life, their choices and actions, is what they will be held accountable for after they die. 

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

Let's list out the various judgements that will follow this age and provide a brief context of each.