Study #8
The Sense We Have of Christ's Life
The "Sense of Life" is the subjective personal consciousness we as believers have by the "Spirit of Life in Christ" in us. It is the normal experience of living by His life. The "sense" we have of His life is another, deeper, consciousness within us. It is the sense of Christ in us as the new us at our core.
1 Corinthians 2:9-12 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. 10 But God Hath Revealed Them Unto Us By His Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. 11...the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
…a healthy sense, or we have a sense of death
Nothing is wrong within, we have normalcy... We are AWARE of… something wrong...
- Vibrant, alive - Weakness
- The joy of Union with the Lord - Sense of Separation from the Lord
- Satisfied - Emptiness
- Lively - Depression
- Bright & Light - Darkness
In order to have the sense of Christ Life, we must have Christ's life within us.
1 Cor. 15:45b …the last Adam was made (became) a quickening (life-giving) spirit.
2 Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
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:
Col. 3:4a When Christ, who is our life, shall appear …
Romans 8:9-10 ... the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit Is Life because of righteousness.
Christ's "mind" is also now in our spirit... intended to become our soul's new intellect.
John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
1 Cor. 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord … But we have the mind (Gk. nous, intellect) of Christ.
Philippians 2:5 (KJV) Let this mind (phroneo, mindset) be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
emanating from Christ's life (with His mind, emotion, will) within our spirit.
1 John 5:20 we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction (anointing) from the Holy One (Christ), and ye know all things.
1 John 2:27 ...the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, ... ye shall abide in him.
1 Cor. 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know (Gk., eido, know innately) the things that are freely given to us of God.
Here above the Greek for the word "know" is "eido," meaning "to have or possess a spontaneous innate perception, as by any of our senses." (Strongs Exhaustive Concordance).
1. Physically we innately know by 5 senses: sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing
2. Spiritually, we now have a 6th sense, the sense of His life, with His peace or lack thereof.
The Indwelling "Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus" is the key to innately knowing as the Sense of His life.
1Cor 2:11-12 ...what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 12Nowwe have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; (so) that we might know (eido, know innately) the things that are freely given to us of God.
Rom 8:5-6 they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 6For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is Life and Peace.
Acts 18:5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.
Acts 16:7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not.
The Brass Ring for man is the Sense of His Peace and Rest (Apart from Christ, we are out-of-sync.).
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that In Me Ye Might Have Peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
So, how may we know we are abiding in Him? We will have the sense of His life and peace.
- Conversely, we have "sense of death" that comes by our "mind of (set on) the flesh," which is witnessed by the Absence of the Sense of Life and Peace.
Christ's Peace Cannot be simulated or Counterfeited by Satan, Christ Himself is our peace.
Ephes. 2:14a For he (Christ) is our peace, …
John 14:27a Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you...
Philip. 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through (by) Christ Jesus.
Holiness is Sanctification, both mean to be "set apart unto God"; it's to be separated from things common or profane. The "God of Peace" is the "Sanctifier" of our whole being.
"He sets us apart by the sense of Him within us, guiding us - "He will do it."
1 Thes. 5:23-24 And the very GOD OF PEACE SANCTIFY YOU wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.
The word "wholly" means entirely, completely thoroughly, to the consummation. So God is the one who is working in us to sanctify us completely, so that no part of our being, neither our spirit, soul or body, will be left common or profane.
- Our SPIRIT was sanctified by regeneration the moment we were saved & received "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." God has preserved our spirit from any deadening element.
Ephes. 2:1 And you hath he quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins;
1 Corinthians 1:30 But of him (God the Father) are ye in Christ Jesus, who of Godis made
unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and SANCTIFICATION, and redemption:
- Our SOUL is being sanctified - God is preserving our soul from remaining natural and old
Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
- Our BODY follows our "spirit-led soul." Thus our body is sanctified moment by moment, as our soul yields to the sense of Christ in our spirit.
Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye (as a soul self) through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
The Indwelling Spirit is Our Source of His Powerful Overcoming & Enduring Life
Hebrews 7:16 Who (Christ) is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless (limitless) life.
Ephes. 1:18-19 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, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power (dunamis, miraculous power) to us-ward who believe, according to the working (energeia, energy) of his mighty (forceful) power (kratos, vigor),
But The Body of flesh will not follow an "independent self-effort."
Rom 7:21-23 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (the soul): 23But I see another law (life operating) in my members (body), warring against the law of my (soul's) mind, andbringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
God, In Christ, as the Spirit Within Us, is the Sanctifier of our body, as we trust and obey.
Romans 8:11 if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Our Body will one day be Like His Glorious Body
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like untohis glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Our Sanctification is by simply following the Sense of Christ's Sanctifying "Spirit of life" Within Us.
· First taking possession of our spirit through regeneration (Titus 3:5, John 3:5-6 – Born again);
· By spreading Himself as the life-giving Spirit from our spirit into our soul to saturate and transform our willing and doing (Philip 2:13).
· Renewing our mind (Rom. 12:2) from "glory to glory" (2Cor. 3:18)
· Mortifying the deeds of our body (Rom 8:13)
· Then transfiguring in the Rapture it by His power. God not only sanctifies us wholly, but also will transform our corruptible body to incorruptible.
Philip. 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (Spirit body), according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
This "Sense" is the "Living Word of God" within. Christ is the indwelling Word and indwelling peace.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick (living), and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints (soul needed for any movement) and marrow (source of life is the spirit), and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
1 Peter 5:14b Peace be (is) with you all that are "in Christ Jesus." Amen.
2Thes.3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you
2 Peter 1:2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge (ginosko, experiential knowing) of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
1 Peter 5:10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect (complete), stablish, strengthen, settle you.
Ephes. 4:17-24 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19Who being past feeling (insensitive, ignoring the Holy Spirit convicting them in their conscience of their human spirit) have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
20But ye have not so learned (understood) Christ; 21If so be that ye have heard him (in your spirit), and have been taught by him (in your spirit), as the truth (reality) is in Jesus: 22That ye put off concerning the former conversation (manner) of the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23And be renewed in the spirit of your mind (Be renewed by the spirit flowing out through your submissive soul/mind, to govern your living); 24And that ye put on the new man, (enduo, be clothed by sinking into or yielding to Christ in you, as into a garment) which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Yet some Christian's say, "But I don't have peace within - Why?"
– It's usually because we have a part in "Mutual Abiding" - by "abiding in Christ as peace."
Col. 3:15a And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, …
Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his (God's) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works,
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:
Ephesians 3:8-9 Unto me (Paul), who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;
9 And to make all men see what is the Fellowship Of The Mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:1 John 1:2-3 (For the life was manifested, and we (the Apostles) have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that yealso may have fellowship with us: and truly our Fellowship Is With The Father, And With His Son Jesus Christ.
The key to fellowship is our participation in the eternal life of God the Father by our Spirit-union, we have "fellowship with the Father and with His Son."
The reality of the fellowship of life is our sense of by the "Spirit of life in Christ Jesus."
2 Cor. 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion (fellowship) of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
Philip. 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
The Meaning of the "Fellowship of Life" is Christ in you as your life
1) E.g., The light bulb – The bulb is as a soul. The electricity is as the spirit life flowing, as does electricity from the power generation plant?
- The electric current must flow continually if there is to be light in the bulb. Electricity cannot be held or contained in the light bulb; it must be screwed in and experienced moment to moment give light continually. If the flow stops the light will go out and darkness prevails.
Our maintaining the "fellowship of life" by the Spirit is the same.
2) E.g., Blood in my hand – The hand is as a soul and the blood is as the spirit flowing. Is the blood working just locally in my hand, or the whole body? Its both, it must be flowing continually to give life to my hand individually, even while it is flowing in the whole body
- When flow of life stops, death prevails.
The "fellowship of the mystery" is the fellowship of life we enjoy by the flowing of the "Spirit of life" in Christ, within our spirit; which flow into our soul in fellowship, enlightenment, and empowerment to live righteous "in Him."
9 And to make all men see what is The Fellowship Of The Mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: Ephesians 3:9 (KJV)
The "fellowship of the mystery" is God's secret plan for our union with Christ in Spirit.
- The "supply of His life" is received through the flow of the fellowship of in Christ's Life.
- Abide our soul in our union with the Christ in our spirit.
- and thereby Enjoy the peace, quietness, and rest of the unity with have with Christ.
- The more we permit the flowing of His life the more fellowship or communion we have in His life
· If the fellowship of life is interrupted the enjoyment of the sense and power of His life is interrupted.
· If the fellowship of life is interrupted we sense the loss of the restful sense of His life.
· The more we live in the "fellowship of life" the keener is our "sense of life."
The sense of His life by rest and peace tests or proves if we are abiding in union with Him.