Establishing God's Purpose

THE PROMISE

We must remember that the Holy Bible is written to the people of God; to the Jew first and then the Church. If you are to comprehend the Word you must see it from the perspective from which it is written. First of all, you must understand the intent of the two covenants.

Galatians 3:24

24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

The Law or Old Covenant was a schoolmaster, a teacher that pointed us to Christ. Throughout the Old Testament these were divers rituals, washings, sacrifices and ordinances that all pointed to the purity of life that is only found in Christ Jesus. The central theme of the Old Testament is “The Promise.”We have come to know that the promise was and is Jesus Christ or His Spirit which is the Holy Ghost.

When making reference to the old patriots, Paul writes,

Hebrews 11:39-40

39 And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:

40 God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

They did not receive the promise that could make them perfect. But the New Testament Church did. The Church has received “the promise,” (the Holy Ghost), which is able to make us perfect before God.

II Timothy 3:16-17

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

From II Timothy 3, we can see that it is the intent of the scriptures to make the man of God perfect. The New Creature is a Son of God. To be furnished unto good works simply means that He is created in the image of Christ. He is a partaker of the divine nature therefore, He is capable of walking in the character of His Father.

It is imperative that you indeed believe that the intent of New Testament scripture is to make the man of God perfect. If you do not believe this then You will never enter into the liberty of the Spirit, which makes you free from the law of sin and death. You will always strive to walk in righteousness.

You will walk in the flesh and attempt to produce the holiness of God that can only come by walking in the Holy Ghost.

You must agree with God on this. You will never come to know the mind and heart of the Father without first agreeing with Him as to His eternal purpose for preserving this Word. If not, there is no need to continue to study His Word or work His ministry.

II Corinthians 5:21

21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The righteousness of God is a sinless state of being. It is not a creature who vacillates in and out of sin. This righteousness is found in Christ Jesus.

If you believe the above, then you will proceed to study the New Testament from that perspective. In Paul’s instructions to Timothy, he implied that the scriptures are able to produce a man of God who is perfect in all his ways. We know that this is the life of Christ, which has been given to every believer.

II Corinthians 5:17-18

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

The new creature is a triune being. He is body, soul and spirit according to Hebrews 4:12. However, all these things are of God.

1. The flesh has been circumcised:

Colossians 2:10-11

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

This is the good news, the mystery that was hid in God. This is the eternal purpose of God manifested. 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).

2. The soul, which is the spirit of the mind, has been renewed:

Ephesians 4:22-24

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

II Corinthians 4:16-18

16 For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

3. The spirit is where the soul resides:

Acts 17:28

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

The conscience is the mind of the spirit. It is the place where we comprehend God. The wordconscience means co-perception. It is the seat of knowledge and awareness. It was so before we met Christ and it is even now. Paul says no man knows the things of a man but the spirit that is in man. Your conscience knows you and also the will of God. Therefore, it is able to:

a. Bear witness of the truth

Romans 2:15

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness

Romans 9:1

1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost

b. Accuse or excuse every thought

Romans 2:15

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

c. Convict and condemn the works of the flesh

John 8:9

9 And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

d. Judge the deeds done in the body

II Corinthians 1:12

12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.

Acts 23:1

1 I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.

Acts 24:16

16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.

The Lord will never leave the Body of Christ without a demonstration and a vindication of His Word. In Paul’s testimony, he determines that his conscience has always been void of offense toward God or man. He declares that his lifestyle (conversation) has been one of godly sincerity. Paul walked in the perfection provided by the Father. He walked in “The Promise.”

You must not only understand but also believe that which is rendered by the Holy Scriptures. Paul and the other disciples walked in the power of the Holy Ghost, not just to work miracles and establish churches, but they glorified God in character and deeds. Their lifestyles became a revelation of the mystery. The people of God are peculiar because they are perfect.