That Life Is The Light Part 4

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT

PART IV

WALKING IN THE SPIRIT

The Lord wants us to really understand Him, and I am convinced and persuaded more than ever that the Church, the Body of Christ, has no idea who they are dealing with. The Body of Christ does not know their God. We are just learning Him. The Church is worshiping the “god” of its imagination because that is the “god” who has been handed to them, although that “god” is non-existent in the Kingdom of God.

We have a Body of Christ that is forever learning but never coming to the power of the Faith. Let us disregard working miracles and let us just go with living holy. It is hard to find someone living holy even when we look in the mirror. It has been hard to see a soul living holy up until recently, but some of us right now are living holy, walking in the Spirit.

I had a glimpse into the Godhead, and I am going to go back to the foundational scriptures that the Lord used to spearhead this particular movement into the Spirit.

I John 1:1-2

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

John wrote and spoke the heart and mind of God, and when he gave utterance, he was speaking according to the oracles of God and from God’s perspective. Every time John wrote, he always wrote from God’s perspective, as if it was God himself writing.

The Apostleship is supposed to settle controversies in the Body of Christ. Anytime there were controversies concerning what to do or how to do it, the Apostles settled the issue. There are controversial issues in the Body of Christ today, such as baptism; Pentecostal and Apostolic differences; and doctrines concerning gender, male/female, what they are or are not allowed to do. Those controversies should have been settled by the Word of God, but instead we have generations of men reading the scriptures and holding fast to whatever they believe or have ascertained from the scriptures.

The Pentecostals are holding fast, so are the Apostolics, the Presbyterians, and the Lutherans. Everybody is holding fast to whatever they grew up in. There has to be a Word from the Bible to unite all. There has to be a Word that makes all of the doctrines outside the purpose of scripture, obsolete. There has to be a Word that destroys them and at the same time, unites them all.

This is the Word God has given that will bring unity. I see the unity that it is able to bring and know that God did not give it just for us, because this ministry does not have controversies about some of the things that the Body of Christ has. We are already settled in some of these issues, so for God to give it, He has to be setting us up to expose it to the Body.

I. COMPREHENDING “THE LIFE”

I want you to focus on what John is really saying. “The Life” was manifested (made known) and he is speaking from God’s perspective. When Adam and Eve sinned, death entered into us all. The scriptures say that all died in Adam. As far as God was concerned from Adam on down, the race of man was dead and condemned. We were condemned to death. Adam saw to that, but then we have another scripture, a very familiar scripture.

St. John 3:16

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.

We found out how much God loved the world. The Father loved the world and gave the world Jesus Christ so that we would not perish. We found that Jesus was the atonement. He became the sacrifice that God approved. This is why I want you to see “The Life.”

II. THE ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD

Remember Melchisedec, He being without descent – but remember when He walked surveying earth, walking among the people. Abraham saw Him and was glad and rejoiced, and paid tithes to Him. We found out who Melchisedec was and that God’s eternal purpose was more than just to redeem, but also to beget children. He had no descendants and there was nobody that could love the way He wanted to be loved, unless they were just like Him. They had to be like God, in order to love like God.

Man being damned, on his way to hell, but God loving the world, set in motion His plan to redeem man. We discover there is a law concerning redemption, taught to us in the book of Ruth, that there must be a kinsman redeemer. Jesus called Himself the Son of God, and they wanted to kill Him for this. In another scripture He called Himself the son of Man. In St. John 5, Jesus said the Father committed all judgment to Me because I am the son of Man. This is very important. Why would God give Him all judgment?

St. John 5:19-27

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.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

This is some power God has given the Son to be able to give life to whomever He will. Look at the progression of power Jesus received here. He said that before He got back to heaven, the dead were going to hear Him and those who were dead would live again. He was not just talking about spiritual death either – He was talking about graveyard dead.

THE FATHER, MELCHISEDEC, HAD LIFE IN HIMSELF. Life is only contained in the Father, He was the giver of life, He was the King of Righteousness, the King of all Peace. There is only one King of Righteousness, God. God did not have any descendants; He did not have a mother or father. He had life in Himself. All life came out from God. But, here comes the Son, and Jesus’ priesthood now was after that Order, the divine nature and divinely appointed character of Melchisedec. Remember He told the people back then to pay tithes to them (the Levitical priesthood) who dies, but Abraham paid tithes to Him who it is witnessed still lives.

Therefore, if He has a continual priesthood, we have to be able to see that priesthood in the New Covenant. That priesthood was continued in Christ Jesus. This priesthood is an everlasting priesthood and for it to be continual and everlasting, that priest never dies because life is in Him. God the Father beget Jesus and the Father’s life is in Him. The Son can now testify that since My Father has life in Him, I have life in Me, and just as He gives life to whomever He will, He gave Me the right to give it to whomever I will. Just as “The Life” was contained in the Father, the Son now has the life of the Father. Melchisedec is abiding in His Son. “THAT LIFE” WAS THE ETERNAL PRIESTHOOD.

The disciples came to show you “That Life” so that you can have fellowship with us. In the twenty-fifth verse we read that the dead will hear the Son of God and in the twenty-seventh verse that judgment is given to the son of Man. He received authority to execute judgment because He is the son of Man.

III. JESUS: THE SON OF MAN

The devil holds an age long question in our minds, an issue that is not settled and why it is difficult for many to walk in the Spirit. Many do not really believe that they can actually walk in the Spirit and live a sinless life. Because of that unbelief, the picture of the redemption plan that has been painted to us is inaccurate. The vision that we have been given is inaccurate because we have esteemed and worshipped the finished product and have not considered the roots. We have esteemed and worshipped the Son of God, and in our worship of the Son of God, we have not seen the son of Man. If we ever really see the son of Man, we will change the way we feel about ourselves.

There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one (I John 5:7).

St. John, in his Gospel, tells us that the Word was made flesh. Look at what God did. He visited a little shepherd girl and said I am going to impregnate you. He placed the Word, that is the seed, in her womb. The Holy Ghost overshadowed her and God planted His seed in her womb, which was the Word of God, just by speaking it. God made a promise to Abraham that He would give him a righteous seed, but even before Abraham, He promised Eve that the woman would bring forth a seed that would bruise the head of the serpent. So God gave that woman the seed, and because of the promise He had made to Abraham, that seed had to be one hundred percent human.

The same thing that happened to us when we received the Holy Ghost, that is how Jesus was born and created in the body. He had to be a genuine kinsman to man in every sense of the word. He could not be superior to man in His human estate, for then sin would be oblivious to Him. He had to be vulnerable. We never think about Jesus’ soul, or do not even see Jesus with a soul.

Perhaps the thought of Jesus possibly disobeying God never crossed our minds, however, scripture states in Ephesians 1:12 that God had to trust Jesus, even though He was born with the Holy Ghost. God did the same with John the Baptist, who was born with the Holy Ghost. It was “That Life” God had given Elijah that was the Holy Ghost in John the Baptist.

As Jesus began to grow up, He started reading about Himself and at twelve years of age, full of wisdom and with that thing on the inside instructing and counseling His heart, He discovered the scriptures were about Him.

At twelve, when Jesus learned who He was and His purpose and when His mother came looking for Him, He asked why she was looking for Him? Do you know why He said that? Because He said you ought to know who I am, you are the one who told me that no man had anything to do with my birth, so I know you know who I am. If you do not know, let me tell you, it is time for Me to be about My Father’s business.

So at twelve years old, He made a decision never to go searching for His life, because His life was hid in God and He decided to leave it there. He decided from that moment on that he would never seek His own life. From that moment on, every word that I speak is going to be what the Father wants me to say. I am going to work the will of the Father who sent Me.

St. Matthew 16:24-25

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

Jesus made a conscious decision to do the will of the Father. We all have a choice now. We can disobey God and follow the human race, or we can stay hidden inside His Life and become that Quickening Spirit that has life in Itself. Thus, not exercising our own will, but keeping our will hidden in the Father.

Jesus remained in the thing that had apprehended Him, the thing that birthed Him. That is why He was called a Quickening Spirit. Not because He did not have a soul, but His soul was insignificant so He kept it hidden. He did not exercise any will of the flesh, none whatsoever. For thirty-three and one-half years, Jesus walked this earth and made that decision one time, that He would not offend the Father. He never broke that oath. He was in agreement with what the Word said about Him.

Every time the enemy offered Him anything, He said it is written. What was He doing? He was referring to what was written about Him. It is already written that man shall not live by bread alone. It is written that we should not tempt the Lord our God. It is written! It is written! It is written, Him only shall we serve!

Jesus’ wilderness experience was only a temptation to Him because the devil offered Him everything, but that was not the real test! The real test came when Jesus had to learn obedience! Remember, He has a soul that was willing to express desires. Jesus was in complete agreement with what the Word said about Him of flesh and that He was able to feel/emotions. He has a soul that could still be tempted, as it is exposed to this life, to this world.

In the first message Jesus preached, He had the audacity to say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me. This Scripture you have been reading in Isaiah all these years has been fulfilled right here today! The Scripture has come alive! They took Jesus and wanted to stone Him. Then He healed a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, and because it was the Sabbath day, because He declared Himself the Son of God, they wanted to kill Him. They wanted to kill Him for even saying who He was! He came to do the Father’s business and actually was saying that every time I open my mouth about You, every time I do a good deed, every time I walk in “This Life” that You gave me, it was You Father, working the work. I was only doing what I saw My Father do.

IV. LEARNING OBEDIENCE

The Bible says Jesus had to learn obedience by the things He suffered. We must also learn how to pay the price for “This Life.” And in learning “how to” pay the price, we learn that we can pay the price. At any time Jesus could have backed out. He could have said no, the son of Man, Jesus, could have backed out. The thing that distinguishes Jesus is that He had “The Life” of the Father in Him. That is the only thing that made Him different from us before we got saved. Mechisedec’s life was in Him.

Here, this body, this son of Man, everything that He does for His Father sets Him up to be brutalized. The scripture says they persecuted Him and sought to kill Him. So He had to learn how to obey. He had to learn how to deny Himself. He had to learn that there is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, no matter what they were doing to Him. Our strife and turmoil come when we disobey the Father. We feel alone because we are taking our souls searching for our own life and are now alienating our souls from the life of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 5:8-9

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you can decide to never disobey the Father. Jesus made that decision once. He decided He would never disobey His Father. Once He knew who He was and what the Father wanted Him to do, He made His decision. As He obeyed, “That Life” began to get stronger and stronger in Him, making no provisions for the flesh. There cannot be any want for anything in this world if we want to please God. If we want to walk in the Spirit, we cannot want anything for ourselves, making no provision for flesh.

I want you to picture Him going from place to place making no provision for flesh, giving up this entire life, not wanting anything from this world. Jesus could be tempted with nothing because He had made a conscious decision not to disobey His Father. When the trials came, when people tried to kill Him and persecute Him for doing good, that was the real test. He learned He could obey the Father. He had peace, but more than that God had revealed to Him the purpose for His life and Jesus knew the wicked one could not touch Him until His purpose was finished.

V. A NEW AND LIVING WAY

Hebrews 10:19-20

19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,

20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;

The way to get to the presence of God is by a new and living way. Inside the temple in Jerusalem, made of stone, there was the Holy of Holies and a Holy Place. A veil separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy Place. The veil was twelve inches thick and you could not go behind the veil. Why? Once a year during the time of atonement, the priest would take a blood sacrifice for himself and the people into the Holy of Holies. The presence of God, the Shakina Glory, would come down, and hover over the Mercy Seat. If the priest was not pure, if he had not offered a sacrifice for himself, and if they did not hear anything, they would drag him out with the rope they had tied to him.

Psalm 46:1

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

God’s presence in the Old Testament came down in the Holy of Holies. The tabernacle was built so that God could be among His people. However, the way to get into the presence of God in New Testament times is a new and living way.

The way to get in the Holy of Holies has changed; it is a new and a living way. The thing that separated man from God was not the veil of the temple, that was only a figure, a shadow of what God was really trying to say. The true tabernacle that God was waiting for is a tabernacle of man. The tabernacle of man is where God wanted to set up His eternal habitation! However, man’s flesh had separated him from God, so He raised up a son of Man who lived holy and pleased Him, qualifying Jesus to be a righteous sacrifice for the entire human race. His flesh that stood between God and man had to be rent on the cross. When God looked at the sacrifice it was acceptable. So our veil, our flesh, which separated us from God, has been rent because Jesus wore flesh for all mankind. He was our atonement. When they brutalized Jesus, they were striking our flesh also because we were at one with that atonement.

CHRIST’S FLESH PAID THE PRICE FOR THE SINS OF US ALL, SO NOW THAT VEIL NO LONGER SEPARATES US FROM GOD.

Not only did our access to God change, but also the way it changed, and the location of the Holy of Holies changed. God said He was no longer dwelling in temples, but in one place. I live only in the life that pleased Me and that was Jesus Christ. If you want to get in my presence, “in Christ” is where you have to be because Christ is the Holy of Holies. Jesus Christ is the Way into God’s presence. He is the Truth and the Light -- the only Way to God. If anyone tries to enter another way he is a thief and a robber.

Israel could not accept that God was living in Jesus and are still looking for Him in the temple, as are many other people today. The coming of Christ brought about a new and living way.

Atonement – 1. Amends made for an injury or wrong: EXPIATION. 2.a. The redemptive life and death of Christ. b. The reconciliation of God and man thus brought about by Christ.

(Webster’s Dictionary)

I John 5:10-12

10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

The Holy of Holies is in the Son of God. In order to enter into the presence of God, we must get in Christ and then you will sit in heavenly places. This is the only way you are going to meet God. This is “The Life.” This is the only way you are going to live. Anything that is not in Christ is dead.

Hebrews 2:14-17

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

Jesus had to be just like mankind. He was touched with our infirmities, bore our griefs, was persecuted and hated of men, yet remained faithful to His purpose. This is why God was well pleased with Christ’s life. This is “The Life” that God trusted. Christ was the only man who ever pleased God. God gave Him the opportunity to be our propitiation by putting His Life in Him and making Him a Son too. Christ decided to obey the father and to walk in the life that God put in Him, making Him the redeemer for all mankind. God trusted Jesus, and Jesus never betrayed that trust.

VI. WALKING IN “THAT LIFE”

Hebrews 5:6-9

6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

You have one man who was given one thing that other men were not given and that was “The Life” of the Father. That distinguished Him from all other men. One man, out of millions on planet Earth had one thing different in Him, and because He had “The Life” of the Father in Him, and because He believed in “That Life” and because He obeyed “That Life”, He walked holy for thirty-three and one-half years, never offending “That Life.” Now, God the Father says that is “The Life” I am going to accept from each and every one of you.

As long as we are in “That Life,” we will only have the emotions of “That Life,” only have the purpose of “That Life,” and will not have to worry about the world. Things in the world cannot hold any power over us because “That Life” has overcome the world. “That Life” does not have to have a thought war, because it has already won the thought war. If we walk in “That Life”, we do not have to worry about sin, as sin is a settled issue.

Romans 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

You are no longer in the flesh but in the Spirit. It says that if you live in the Spirit then walk in the Spirit. Keep your life hid in Him. When you start thinking for yourself, you walk in death and darkness because you are alienating your soul from “This Life” and trying to live your own life.

Overcome – 1. To defeat in competition or conflict: CONQUER. 2. To prevail over by mental or moral effort: SURMOUNT. 3. To surmount opposition: WIN OUT.

(Webster’s Dictionary)

If a young boy (Jesus) can make that decision to obey the Father, then we too can make the same decision. He had no more than we have now, and He made a decision that He was going to walk in “This Life” to fulfill His Father’s purpose. In the end, on His way to the cross, He said, for this end I came into the world. He never lost sight of what the Father wanted, therefore there was no need to make provisions for His life, because He was seated with the Father in heavenly places.

St. John 17:20-23

20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

This was the prayer Jesus prayed and He was praying for that continuing priesthood, for those sitting right here in Bible Teachers. Stop wrestling, stop warring. You must renew your mind, because your fleshy mind is causing you to oppose yourself and your soul is at stake. If you alienate your soul from “That Life,” your soul will be walking in death; totally separated from the Father. The Father is the husbandman and has taken us out of the world and put us in Christ, regardless of our nationality, race, color or creed so that He could make one new man. He took all these souls and placed us in one life, put us all inside of the Holy of Holies, in Christ Jesus.Now, Christ is in God, God is in Christ and we are in them both. We are ONE.

Ephesians 4:23

And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

St. John 15:1-6

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

The Father placed us in Christ, but everyone who is not bringing forth righteous fruit, the Father will cast out. God says He is justified if we only commit one sin and He cuts us off. He does not have to allow us to continue sinning. It is His mercy, because He gave us life. It is because of God’s mercy and His love for us that we have not been cut off. My friend, because God loved us, He gave us life, His life. Reciprocate that love by purposing in your heart to walk in “That Life.”

God bless you,

Apostle Mary Banks

LESSON FIVE

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT

THAT LIFE IS THE LIGHT: PART IV

SUMMARY

1. God desires unity throughout the entire Body of Christ.

2. Because of the Father’s great love for mankind, He sent Jesus to be our redeemer.

3. God is the only giver of eternal life.

4. Jesus was in complete agreement with the Father’s purpose for His life.

5. Jesus is the only way to the Father.

THE FAITH LIBRARY

SELF-EVALUATION

LESSON X

The purpose of the Self-Evaluation is to help you examine yourself with the principles taught in this lesson. You must always examine your response to every circumstance, situation and relationship with which you are faced, no matter how small or insignificant it seems.

Name ___________________________ Date _____/_____/_____

Teacher _________________________ Location ________________

[ ] Check here, if correspondence student

REFERENCE SCRIPTURES

• OLD TESTAMENT
• NEW TESTAMENT

GLOSSARY

NOTE: These glossary terms have been taken from The Banks’ Expository and have been added to this study guide. Some of the terms have been derived to govern an in-depth understanding of this teaching. Others have been adopted from various sources and are used in confirmation of revelations received from God.