After
The Spirit
As long as the
Believer's faith is in the Cross, (the sacrifice of Messiah or Christ,)
as long as the believer trusts in His Finished work on earth, knowing and
understanding that and that alone, ALL of his victories in totality will
spring from that Source and that Source alone.
Then the Holy
Spirit, who lives within the Saint, will guarantee to that Saint
ALL the benefits of what Yeshua, Jesus, our LORD and Saviour purchased
for him at the Cross and through His Glorious Resurrection.
edmund
desoto
The Apostle Paul
said. . . . .
"There
is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Romans
8:1 KJV
Of
course the apostle Paul is talking about us walking after the Holy Spirit.
As well, by
"walk" he is speaking by of our ordered manner of life. In other words,
that
which we do to walk holy and victorious before the LORD and our fellowman,
in other words our daily lives.
When the apostle
Paul spoke of being "carnally minded," he was speaking of the flesh or
self-will
dominating the spirit, our own personal spirit. (I use S for the Spirit
of God and s for the spirit of man)
This without
a doubt brings in sin which in turn brings in spiritual death.
The only conclusion
that we can arrive to is that the only way to walk victoriously before
the LORD and have dominion over sin "dominion over the flesh,
over self-will" is to follow after the Spirit of God, His Holy
Spirit.
But how do
we do that? You may ask?
First of all,
the
Believer must understand that just as much as his initial Salvation
experience was in what Messiah did at the Cross and resurrection, likewise,
his victorious living is found as well in what Messiah did at the Cross
and Resurrection.
At the cross,
which we refer to as the GREATEST sacrifice of Messiah, and as well as
His "Finished work," we understand that YESHUA - Jesus atoned for
ALL
sin, thereby satisfying the claims of Heavenly Justice, which of course
totally defeated satan the devil and all powers of darkness.
Satan's hold
on humanity is sin. When that situation was taken care of, then he has
nothing to hold you to. With sin atoned and cleansed, he looses his grip
and claim upon the human race, at least those who will believe.
"For God
so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John
3:16 KJV
As well Yeshua's
Victory was total and complete. In other words, He left absolutely NOTHING
undone. Satan and sin were defeated in every capacity and in every category.
Consequently,
He presently is seated by the Right hand of the Father, and by the fact
of Him being seated there, testifies to His total and complete victory.
"But
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
even when
we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace
ye are saved;)
and hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus:
that in
the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace
in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."
Ephesians
2:4-6 KJV
Whenever the believing
sinner exhibits FAITH in this which Messiah did, God literally places the
individual "in Christ," in "Messiah" which means into His Death, Burial,
and Resurrection.
"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.
For if we
have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also
in the likeness of his resurrection:
knowing
this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might
be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead
is freed from sin."
Romans
6: 3-6 KJV
Jesus died as
our Substitute, which means HE died "as us." In the
mind of God, our Faith in this which He did, concludes us as being "baptized
into His Death, Burial, and Resurrection."
That is how
closely connected the believing sinner is with the Crucified, Risen, Exalted
Lord. In other words, all of this was done completely and totally, for
you and for me.
After being
saved, the Believer is to ever understand that he is "in Christ" or "in
Messiah," which refers to everything that Messiah or Christ has done
for us. Consequently, Christ's VICTORY becomes our Victory and I
mean this in EVERY respect.
As a result
of this, on a daily basis the Believer is to look on to The Cross. He is
to understand that everything that he has in Christ, was brought about
because of what Christ or Messiah did at the Cross and the Resurrection.
"And he said
to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross daily, and follow me."
Luke
9: 23 KJV
The Believer
is to place his faith in that and THAT alone totally and completely, and
as I stated earlier, to do so on a daily basis. That is what Yeshua, Jesus
meant by the Believer "taking up his cross daily and following
HIM."
"And
he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself,
and take up his cross daily, and follow me."
Luke
9: 23 KJV
As long as the
Believer's faith is in the Cross, the sacrifice of Messiah, Christ, the
Finished work of Christ, knowing and understanding, that ALL of his victories
in totality springs from that Source and that Source alone, then the Holy
Spirit, who lives within the Saint, will guarantee to
the Saint ALL the benefits of what Yeshua, Jesus purchased at the Cross
and through the Resurrection.
It is imperative
that the believer understands completely that the Holy Spirit FUNCTIONS
totally
and completely upon one's Faith in the Finished Work of Messiah
or Christ.
This is what
this means. Everything He does for us, every work he carries out within
us, every iota of leading and guidance, all of His Power evidenced on our
behalf, all and without exception, comes through what messiah or Christ
has done for humanity at the Cross.
"For the law
of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the
law of
sin and death."
Romans
8:2 KJV
To sum things
up, when the Believer places his Faith in the Cross, and leaves it in the
Cross, which means to NEVEr depart from the benefits of the CROSS, the
the Holy Spirit will work on our behalf, which actually translates into
us "walking after the Spirit."
In My own Words,
Edmund DeSoto
Part Two Of
This Article
"MAN
THE PERFECT CREATION"
In My own
Words,
edmund desoto
Edmund shares
his insights on how the Lord has changed him for the days we are in. His
wisdom on being in Christ, unity, and how to break racial divides, and
his perspective on humility and prayer will take you to the school of the
Bible.
About
Edmund