Friday – March 25, 2016
Praise the Lord for another week of productivity in the Kingdom of God. If we have done what we are to do in the Kingdom, led of the Holy Spirit, we have been productive whether we can see the result or not and we can thank God for His faithfulness. It is time for the Friday God’s Word and it is time to pray for the Church. The church pictured is St. Mary’s Mission established by the Society of Jesus of the Catholic Church and is located in Stevensville, Montana, founded in 1841. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) Now, back to our study of walking in Him.
Colossians 2:6 (KJV)
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
We have studied and discussed at some length that we are to be like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are to be like the Master.
Matthew 10:24-25 (ESV)
24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. …
Luke 6:40 (ESV)
40 A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.
This is not a new idea or a so called hair brained idea. Our goal, our orders from the Master are to be just like Him. This idea was introduced in the Garden of Eden.
Genesis 1:26 (KJV)
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
The person speaking here is the Godhead, the pleural God, the God of the creation in Genesis 1:1, ʾElōhîm (Strong’s Talking Greek & Hebrew Dictionary) They, ʾElōhîm is going to make a man and that man will look like and act like God (ʾElōhîm).
Genesis 2:7 (KJV)
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
ʾElōhîm made a body of the dust of the ground (dirt) and then breathed of Himself into that body making it incorruptible. The words living soul can also be translated living being. The word living meaning to be alive but it is more than that; that spirit was Gods very own. God breathed of Himself into body formed of the ground and Adam became a living soul (spirit, soul, and body). The spiritual part of a man is composed of the spirit and soul. The soul is the seat of the mind, will, and emotion, our consciousness. Our spirit is the vitality of our being and is our subconsciousness. Our spirit man is the one that communicates with the Spirit of God and is under the control of the soul. The Holy Spirit communicates with our spirit which is the conduit to our soul, our consciousness. Our soul, the mind, will, and emotions must be transformed or molded into the image and likeness of God by the Word of God at and after salvation. The strength or vitality of our spirit man is dependent on what food we feed it. Are we feeding it the ideas and words of God or the world? So this first man, Adam, had the very spirit of God, the spirit man was alive and full strength, the soul man (mind) knew only the Word of God therefore was uncorrupted and as a result the body was not corruptible. Next ʾElōhîm gave His man a mandate or orders that have never changed and will never change.
Malachi 3:6 (KJV)
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
Let’s take a few moments and look at those General Orders (mandate) which apply to all Christians. Keep in mind that within these General Orders there are specific individualized orders for each of us to fulfil as our part in building the Kingdom of God.
Genesis 1:28 (KJV)
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
In this first passage we find that Adam was given The Blessing (Holy Spirit) which empowered them to carry out Gods mandate. The Blessing is not to be idle in Adams life or ours, for this is the Power of God, the Holy Spirit. Next we are to be fruitful which has to do with the fruits of the spirit which nourish the people around us. Third we are to multiple in every sphere of life not just have children. Forth we are to replenish the earth which is much like when Jesus said we are the salt of the earth, we are to fill the earth sustaining and keeping the physical earth vital and healthy. Fifth we are to subdue the earth which is to use the earth and all that is in it for its and our highest good. Sixth, we and Adam were given dominion (authority) over everything that moves upon the earth. Anytime we are given authority we are to use that according to the will of God.
Genesis 2:15 (KJV)
15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
The seventh mandate is to ‘dress’ what we have been given dominion over meaning to take care of it, exercise proper stewardship. Eighth we are to ‘keep’ what is in our stewardship which means to guard it. Remember the thief (serpent) comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
Genesis 2:17 (KJV)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Finally and ninth we are not to mix good and evil that is to say we are not to walk in the world system and the Kingdom of God. This leads to disaster much like in the Garden. Nine is the number of Divine Completeness, these are the full orders of God for us in our lives not just Adam.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
As we complete this part of our study let’s be reminded to walk in Him, not in the world system nor according to our own reasoning.
Colossians 2:6 (KJV)
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
We received Him by faith and we are to walk in Him by faith.
By Pastor David R. Wood
