Introduction

In the Gospel of Matthew chapters 3 and 4, we experienced Jesus being approved of God and tested and tried for ministry, respectively. Notice the order of these events. First, Jesus was approved of God. God says, in Matthew 3:17, “ . . . “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” and then in the very next chapter Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. What is the significance of the order of these events? It seems as if God would have waited until after the temptation of Christ, after He had overcome, to declare that He was well pleased with His Son. God had confidence in His own Spirit. He knew that the power of the Holy Ghost would enable His Son to overcome the power of the temptation of the flesh. Hence, anytime Jesus would face temptation or trials He had to make a conscious decision as to whether or not to follow the dictates of His conscience or the lusts of the flesh. Therefore, God could be bold and confident in His testimony of His Son.

We have received the same Spirit Christ walked in during His time here on earth. God knows that we too, can walk this earth being tested, tempted and tried, without sin. But the Church in no way expects to walk in the same spiritual power of our Lord. If this mindset is not destroyed, the Body of Christ will never be able to please the Father as Christ did. We will never fully disclose the testimony of Christ, until we have resisted “all” temptations of the flesh. Sure, we have had our triumphs but to be totally acceptable to the Father - in this area we have fallen short. Let us go back to salvation, when we received the Spirit of Christ, the Holy Ghost.

Hebrews 9:9-10

9 Which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices, that could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience;

10 Which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation.

The children of Israel could not keep these laws and therefore God had to establish a plan of redemption in order to preserve the nation. We know that the law is spiritual, but man is carnal and could not perform the law. This is why offerings and sacrifices were mandatory. But the scripture declares in Hebrews that these sacrifices could not cleanse a man’s conscience from dead works or make him perfect. So then, there must be a need for some other method of bringing the Law, which Paul says is good, and Man, which he calls carnal, into oneness.

2 Corinthians 5:17

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

This oneness was accomplished at salvation and is why God does not expect us to fail even inside of temptation. The time of reformation spoken of in Hebrews 9:10, was the coming of Christ and for us individually, the receiving of the Holy Ghost. Our very conscience has been cleansed from dead works, and our nature has changed. But we have not taken on the mind of Christ inside of temptation. Oftentimes we are too in touch with the flesh, its desires, emotions, feelings, appetites, needs, etc., to have the same sentiments about holiness that Christ had. So we settle for trying to live the “best we know how” instead of realizing and taking 2 Corinthians 5:17 literally.

This truth is cruel but it is nonetheless the truth. There has been a mental ascension to the Word of God and godliness, but never a concentrated effort to live as Jesus lived, or even Paul, Peter, James and John for that matter. Many in the Body of Christ do not expect, nor do they strive to live the life of Christ. But Jesus declared…I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (St.

John 14:6). We are the Sons of God, spiritual beings capable of walking in the Holy Ghost as a way of life. We were created the righteousness of God. We are not as the Jews under the Law of Moses, who had to continuously offer sacrifices for sins. This was necessary because the natural race of Israel could not keep a law that is spiritual. But we are spiritual. We are expected and commanded to keep the Law. We are supposed to be the manifestation of the Law.

Galatians 2:20-21

20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.

This being the case, why are we constantly coming back and forth to the throne of grace for the forgiveness of sin. The answer is simple. Sin has become the lifestyle for many of the saints. Many of us have abused the advocacy of our redeemer.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:

8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?

9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.

10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.

11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious.

12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:

13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:

14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.

16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.

17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

When Moses came down off the mountain, having received the Ten Commandments the glory of God rested upon him. His face shone like the sun so much so that a veil was placed over him. Now the Old Covenant is our schoolmaster. It is the type or similitude of that which was to come. The glory that was in the face of Moses was the presence of the Spirit of God resting upon Him. It was that Spirit that the children of Israel could not comprehend. They did not realize that this was the glory of the upcoming administration. They had no idea that this Spirit that was upon Moses would one day dwell within men. Those who walked under the Law of Moses, could not keep the Law. Thus, “the letter killeth.” But those who are begotten by the Spirit of God give life to the Law. The Law is Spirit and the Sons of God are the fulfilling of such. 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.

For so long we have tried to comprehend that which is spiritual by our natural senses. The Word is spiritual and must be spiritually discerned. We must be in the Spirit in order to accomplish the Word. Paul says in Romans 7 that sin took advantage of the fact that man was not spiritual and therefore the Law, which is the Spirit of Life, brought death to him. He had a mental comprehension of the law. The Law created a desire in him to be holy, but he could not perform it, even though he desired to. How frustrating to desire freedom yet still be bound!

Romans 7:14-22

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

In many circles, the above scripture has been taken out of context and used to justify the erroneous doctrine that says as long as we are in this flesh we are going to sin. We often question the interpretation of the Word, especially as it comes forth in Bible Teachers International, because we have not seen many who have walked consistently in the Spirit, without sin, as our Lord Jesus Christ did. Therefore, it seems as though we are always reaching for something that cannot be obtained. Just like the old proverbial donkey that sees the carrot in front of his face; he keeps running towards it but never reaches it although it is always in sight. But, I say to you that this is not the case in the Spirit. A life in the Spirit is obtainable. In fact, we were born into the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24-25

24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Romans 9:31-33

31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;

33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

The Jews were trying to attain righteousness by works or the ability of flesh, and not through the faith of Jesus. That is the reason Jesus became a rock of offense to them; and this is the reason we fail and stumble at the Word. If we are not careful, we will be destined to make the same mistake the Jews made. Apostle Michael described it as the Church trying to “redefine holiness”. It did not work then and it will not work now. Jesus says in St.John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If we do not live, work and receive the Word in the Spirit, we will never be stable, rooted and grounded in Christ. Our whole existence now should be to please the Father. We spend so much time trying to find loopholes that we miss the simple fact that we have the fullness of the Godhead dwelling within us. And just as Jesus chose to overcome temptation, so can we.