Chapter 6
Because Jesus, born of the Holy Spirit overcame all domination attached to the flesh, He is the only one with authority to communicate to us this new logic that can lead us to discover the Love of God for all men!
The Fruits of peace
1) Jesus: Man or Messiah?
We will now look at why this faith in Christ is not a trite utopia conveying good humanistic ideas, a simple dimension necessary for human harmony to which it is good to give reason. Jesus certainly came to give us an "example", but if through it He had not "fulfilled the Jewish Law that God gave to Moses", He would have done nothing that could take us out of the dimension of the flesh in which we are all born. The example indeed is good and perfect, but led by an analysis of the flesh, our psychology, itself under the tutelage of Satan, that brings the results that we can appreciate all over the world through the various Christian religions, where the reactions are often opposed to the good will of each one.
Would this mean that the religions that teach the Law given by God to Moses, in opposition to our flesh, are vain? Especially not! On the contrary, they have their raison d'être for the teaching they bring of the Divine Law. They are even perfect, as long as they do not place the doctrine before the Spirit in which God first wants to speak to us individually. Their variants are often a reflection of our carnal differences necessary to our understanding, which is why there are still so many religious wars, should it be only verbal ones. That does not mean that it cannot be born of good from them. On the contrary, because what is not in them is found in God whom they seek to make known according to their more or less precise interpretation of the Law.
The man has unfortunately given them so much importance, that he has often put them in the place of God. The Christian religions all seek to kill carnal psychology, which is noble and just, but vain and even harmful if the action is conducted in us by this carnal construction itself. What these religions do not have in them, because they cannot come from a teaching, is: the Spirit who gives faith in God! Believing is indeed a second-rate thing, because it is said to us in (James 2-19) Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.//
This does not mean that it is useless to believe, because one must believe to receive a conviction. Faith is indeed more of a dimension of conviction in the heart of man, like an invisible reality. This conviction certainly does not exist physically, since it is only "the assurance of the things we hope for, the demonstration of those we do not see", as we have just read in the epistle to the Hebrews. Nor can we conceive of the results of faith, since it leads us to the Spirit of God and is therefore not in our flesh, our basic individual psychology. This conviction certainly does not exist physically, since it is only "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen", as we may read in the Epistle to the Hebrews1-1. Nor can we conceive of the results of faith, since it leads us to the Spirit of God and is therefore not in our flesh, our individual psychology of basis.
There is not in us an image worthy of the Spirit, from which we can draw an analysis to produce an action with integrity according to God. That is why by this total confidence that we give to God, He can put in us: Faith in Him! We can then be pleasing to Him by going beyond the image of our flesh, and only in this way, which glorifies the Spirit: (Hebrews 11-6) But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.//
It is not written "who recognize Him", but who seek Him. This is a fundamental difference between the flesh and the Spirit, because whoever advances by faith does not know but discovers. He discovers by means of the works that God has placed from eternity before him and into which he enters, led by His Spirit. That is why Jesus did not come to "show us the example", but to bring us the encouragement to trust in Him by faith, devoid of any other preconceived idea.
Faith, trusting the Spirit of God in His works, beyond the images of the flesh, will therefore increase step by step the dimension of the Spirit in our soul. On the other hand, the intellectual teaching of the law in a religion can stifle the Spirit with carnal wisdom, and thus increase the flesh (or carnal spirit) to the detriment of the Spirit (Holy Spirit of God). It is in this respect that religions, good in their motives, can become harmful in the putting into practice in certain parts of their orientation, and lead to extremism through regimentation of the spirit (ours, constituted of its carnal part and possibly of the Holy Spirit).
This extremism is then only due to a confusion of faith and fanaticism. The approach of faith, led by God will always bring more God in us, so always more Love of our neighbor. The second way of putting into practice, led by the enemy of our souls that is Satan, brings always more presumptions of the flesh, so, more demonic wars.
We must of course remain moderate in the dimension of the "demonic", but any dimension carnal, human, is obviously "demonic", which made say to Jesus speaking to Peter in Matthew 16-23, "Get thee behind me Satan", because of the carnal words he had just pronounced. This does not mean that the imbalance of the person has exceeded a normal human equilibrium, but that his motivations come from the flesh, and not from the Spirit of God. Therefore, without entering into blind obedience, it is good that we voluntarily leave to others a right to look at our behavior, by an inter-submission to know which "spirit" or whom "Spirit" leads us. The slips-up can otherwise be very big. This is a specific subject about the importance of the church that we will not deal with in this book, only to stay at the main lines of faith led by the Spirit or the flesh.
The example that Jesus left us, is therefore far from sufficient in itself, since it allows us possibly to get an image reference according to our flesh, but not to go beyond it. If it had only been a question of serving as a model, why would he have given His life on the Cross? By spirit of sacrifice? He has certainly come to bring "sacrifice", but perpetual for our past, present, and future sins, that is to say, forgiveness in its entirety.
Past: Through our nature we are all born first from the flesh, even the "best person", therefore not in conformity with the Spirit of God.
Present: We remain men who, as spiritual as we may be, only aim at the perfection of Jesus.
And future: To be able to advance each day in a progression towards the perfection of love of our neighbor, without ever making condemnation on the intrinsic nature of any human being, because of his acts, even the most contemptible to our eyes.
(Hebrews 10 - 1 / 18) For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 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. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before,
This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;
And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.
Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.//
So that nobody keep out from this promise, we now take back a little more precisely, the explanation of this text. Sin produces the death of our soul, if only through all the torments it brings to it, first. Second, developing itself carnally in our spirit, it takes away the right to eternal life, by identifying our soul with a dimension that will disappear. In order that everyone may receive the forgiveness of their sins, under the Old Testament, that is to say, before the coming of Jesus, God had given as an image for the redemption of sin, the slaughter of pure 1 animals by the priests 2, to replace the death the sinner deserved. This is what the Apostle Paul first explains, while fixing the limit of the possibilities of this "redemption", since it had to be repeated every year. The difference thus now lies in the fact that if we sin, we must always ask for forgiveness, and repent with all our heart with the firm intention not to perpetrate it, but in free access to God through the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
1) Pure animals, see Leviticus 11-1 / 47 and Deuteronomy 14-3 / 20.
2) Priest: Religious leader who offered the sacrifice.
If Jesus had not yet brought us that, we could still not get out of the carnal dimension, and would always be in the perpetual dimension, sin, forgiveness, sin, forgiveness, to which the faithful of the Old Testament were subjected. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God, offering us a possibility to sin no more in all the various domains of our life, making us victorious of sin if our will is one hundred per cent acquired to Him. What would He have if not accomplished greater than could do, the bloodshed by the bulls or the goats, as the apostle Paul says?
The sacrifice of animals said pure, were primarily because of their species and their environments more favorable to their consumption by humans than other animals, but also given their ignorance of the law as is the case with every animal; knowing that whoever ignores the law cannot be held responsible. The sacrifice of Jesus thus brings the renewal of life by liberation from the grip of sin ensuring a better quality of life, no longer by keeping the same carnal mind for lack of knowledge, but by eliminating of this one it, given perfect fulfillment of the Law by Jesus who gives Him authority over any carnal spirit.
He fulfills it perfectly in its entirety, taking away all right from Satan for Himself, His flesh having not been tainted with sin. First victory! Then, taking upon Him our sins of the flesh, He fulfills the image that God gave under the Old Testament for the forgiveness of sins by the sacrifice of pure animals, and once for all gave us forgiveness of our own if we repent, by the blood He shed on the Cross of Golgotha. That's why He went down to the sojourn of the dead, but His Spirit not being of a dimension like the flesh He could not cross the realm of the dead, so he said these words before expiring "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit". He was resurrected on the third day in His body, His carnal dimension being nonexistent, the image of our resurrection through Him in our own body and for eternity at His side. Second win, this time for us!
Through the "Sacrifice of the Cross", it is therefore important to live the Cross as a victory and not a "sacrifice" as such, even if we must preserve this fundamental respect in the face of all self-denial which the Cross represents. It was indeed the victory of good over evil, the greatest victory of all humanity, so much so that no other can be equal to it.
We have a habit of rejoicing, for different holidays or victories. At the last Olympic Games, I myself witnessed tricolor victories, but I saw no tear of pain on the eyelids of the French spectators, sad with all the sufferings which had endured our champions. All, on the contrary, went wild with joy.
Although it is a much more phenomenal victory than any other will be forever for man, when we speak of the Cross of Jesus, very few see it as a real victory, and all on the contrary are lowering the head sadly. We can understand it, because who among us is jumping for joy if someone tells him about the death of Jesus on the Cross? And yet, as difficult as had been the moments preceding the victory, does not He remain forever the "Champion"? Did He not acquire us the VICTORY?
We cannot measure the dimension, as much it so easily we confuse it with our intellect. It is easy to perceive the physical dimension of the individual, whereas this one is before any spiritual, located at the very level of the soul. Yet it was the opening for us to be able to change of nature, and to have free access to the spiritual nature of God, which is why at this moment, the veil of the temple which in the sanctuary isolated the holy place from the Most Holy place, tore. From this moment, Jesus and God the Father could therefore come and to make his abode in us if we invite Him, our heart being able now become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (the third person of God and not simply "semi-intellectual, semi-spiritual dimension" attached to the Word of God). The path of Love towards the spiritual nature of God was open, giving to the man free access to say yes to the true nature of God's Peace and Love.
For those who still have difficulty distinguishing between the anointing of the Holy Spirit, under the Old Testament and the New (i.e. before and after Jesus), what existed before was as punctual, external to the person (see Old Testament sketch), while the anointing now may be within ourselves, by transforming our Heart into a Temple of the Holy Spirit (See New Testament sketch). That is why it is FUNDAMENTAL not to confuse Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, The one who has accomplished everything as it was announced by the Old Testament, and a simple man who has SUFFERED for us.
He has certainly suffered for us, but He is now seated at the right hand of God, where He remains our intercessor with God the Father. That's why we no longer have to look at Him as a child sees His big brother doing what is impossible for him. He has opened us perfectly ALL the way, and we alone are likely to prevent Him from leading us in His entire dimension. He even gives us the "guide" if we ask Him, and despite all this, He remains our intercessor with the Father.
Why all this assistance? Why does He not trust us? Because Jesus knows that it is not because we pass our driver's license that we will not make mistakes anymore. We can even go so far as to make admirable spiritual sermons full of revelations of God, and commit the error of putting into practice at the most unexpected place.
He is then present to defend us, for the keys of the kingdom have been given to Him, and He expects us to be as many as possible to enter. If He had come back as the reigning Jesus on the day of the first Pentecost, as some contemporaries might believed, only a few would have been saved and not the multitude as numerous as the sand of the sea, according to the promise made to Abraham for his posterity. But He will not delay, it is also His promise. If He waited beyond the marked time, the fall would be dizzying for any believer who will then have placed his faith in Him, but also for the earth, our planet.
We will therefore retain from these first pages linked to the spirit of God, the conviction that Jesus, the Messiah, can and wants to give us far beyond what a religion can bring us by the carnal practice of the law, and now look at what He asks us in order to bless us.
