FEELING OF INFIRMITY

John 14:6

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

I want to take this lesson a little further than we have gone before. While working on a manuscript, I was interrupted by a still small voice in my inner man. It was the voice of the Father. Because of your shortness in fulfilling the true meaning of the Body of Christ, you have neglected to embrace the very things that prove it to be a Body. You have taught ‘Oneness’ but you have failed to disciple my people into its true meaning.

Why is there a rumbling in your spirit? Could it be you are afraid my people will not receive this truth? Are you discouraged because you don’t believe they will ever walk in it? The truth about salvation is not your words, they are mine. Preach the word! I have instructed you to be instant in season and out of season. It is not your responsibility to make them hear or do. You must simply obey. For it is written, “My sheep hear my voice and know me, and do follow me. Sow the seed in my vineyard and that which is right will bring forth much fruit”.

I was stuck for a while. I sat in the chair, staring at the computer. I couldn’t write, I couldn’t even think. He was right, my heart had been covered by fear. A fear that gripped my soul completely. I was afraid, not only for my people, but for myself as well. I was not sure that I would live up to the expectations of the Word of God. I am afraid I might miss the mark and fail to totally embrace the true meaning of the Body. I am experiencing the fear and trembling the apostles felt. God had called me out. He had confronted me with my own inhibitions regarding His word.

I had never had that before. In times past, whatever the Father said, I was ready and willing to say and do. But somehow this was different. It was different in the sense that I knew it would take a complete abandonment of self in order to walk in the truth. Those of you who have been in this word for many years might say, “This has always been the case.” You would be right. However, the Lord is about to define ‘member’ of the body as never before. We are about to entertain the truth that established a church full of martyrs and poor folk who were rich in faith.

THE COMMANDMENT

The church is a called out Jewish or Christian assembly of members. The members are called out of their familiar environment and brought to a designated place to serve God. In the days of Moses, the Law was given to the Hebrew church in the wilderness.

Acts 7:38-39

38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt…

Note that the Law is described as ‘lively oracles.’ That is another way of saying, ‘the living word.’ We are also aware that the church in the wilderness was unable to keep the law. It is spiritual, and they were natural. It is apparent the Lord knew this would be the case, so he installed sacrifices and divers offerings to cover the sins of the people. They were a church made up of the sons of Adam, a natural people, endeavoring to fulfill a spiritual law. Nevertheless, God claimed them as his own. He called them a nation. According to Jesus, these ‘lively oracles,’ could be summed up in two commandments.

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

To love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself is the fulfilling of the Law. Love is the essence of all the commandments. It is this agape love that the church in the wilderness could not achieve. The scripture proclaims Jesus to be the end of the law. He fulfilled all the righteousness of the Law, but he also filled all things with the righteousness of God and the Love of God.

God’s redemption plan purchases the soul and body of every believer. The soul is baptized in the Spirit and the body is filled with Christ. This is the new and living way, which was spoken of by Paul. Now with Christ being in the flesh, he is our power over sin. All we have to do is agree with him and keep our eye single. With our soul joined to the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost living in the body, we are now one with God. This oneness gives us the ability to walk in the Spirit. We are now able to love with his love. We can actually walk in the spiritual personality of Jesus Christ. We can walk in love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance.

This walk is not a hard thing. It is our inheritance. It is of the things God has freely given to the sons.

Let us go a little further into the power of this indwelling Christ.

Hebrews 4:15

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

To be touched with feeling, is to have sympathetic pity and concern for the suffering and misfortunes of others. It is also compassion for the feebleness of mind and/or body of others. Jesus was touched with the feeling of our infirmities; by the fact that he walked the earth in an earthen vessel. Therefore, he was able to be tempted in all points as we are, yet he never sinned. But that same Jesus is living in our bodies today. Now however, we are continually being touched by the feeling of his infirmities which because I am joined to him in the Spirit are also my infirmities. Let me try to break this down a bit.

The body is the Lord’s:

1. He purchased it with his blood.

2. However, we are joined in the Spirit and made subject to the same body.

3. But if it is the Lord’s body, then all its infirmities, (weaknesses, diseases, sicknesses, feebleness), are that of the Lord.

4. Because our soul is joined to him, we also feel all that which he feels in the flesh.

I think we can easily comprehend this in light of the message of the “New Man.” However, the revelation of the feeling of our infirmities does not stop there. There is much scripture that must be considered in light of this truth.

First, I want us to go back to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians.

Ephesians 3:6-12

6 That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:

7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.

8 Unto me, 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:

10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God,

11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

The Father took me back to this passage to give me more clarity and to cause me to see the things we had overlooked in our teaching of it. The Gentiles would be heirs of the same body as that of the Jews. This is further iterated in

1 Corinthians 12:13

13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

This cannot be overlooked any longer. It was the prayer of our Savior in the Garden, for us to be made one with him and the Father. But He also said, “make them one as we are one”. Therefore, we were all placed in the same Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which is the Spirit of the Father and the Son.

But what does it mean to be of the same Spirit? That is the question that begs to be answered here. Well, we have to go to the only example that was set before us, God and Christ. The scripture tells us that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself. Now the Word tells us that we were reconciled by Jesus' death, and saved by his life. Now if the Father was indeed in Christ, up to the time of his death, then it was the Father who suffered the pains of crucifixion as well as Jesus. It was also the Father, who experienced the rejection of his people and the treachery of his governors and spiritual leaders. It was Christ who fellowshipped with the will of the Father.

He always did those things that pleased the Father. That is another way of saying that Christ never opposed what the Father wanted to do with his body. He truly allowed his body to be the Temple of God. But let us look a bit closer at his spiritual disposition.

Philippians 2:5-8

5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

The form of God refers to shape, part, piece, or adjustment of parts. God made adjustments to himself so that he would be able to live in human flesh, without destroying it. After all, He told Moses that no man could even look upon Him and live. God is light, and His light shines brighter than that of the sun. When Jesus left the earth and went back to heaven, He sat on the throne in His glorified estate. Therefore, when he speaks to Paul on the road to Damascus, He appeared as a great light, brighter than the noonday sun. Now of course, some adjustments had to be made, if that light were to come to the earth and dwell among men. But the body he lived in had a soul of its own.

In the adjustments that were made, the soul of the man Jesus was joined to the Lord. This joining allowed Jesus to have the same sentiments of God, the same likes and dislikes, the same virtues, the same righteousness. However, none of this sameness would have been manifested if Jesus were not equal with the Father. This term ‘equal’ simply means to be likened unto, agree, or to be in agreement with. But also bear in mind, this agreement was not forced, it was voluntary. It was an act of love and obedience that came from knowing the heart and mind of the father. Jesus knew what the Father wanted and His love for the Father resolved to submit to his will.

John 8:28-29

28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

That is why the Father loved him so. I know we have taught this agreement many times, but bear with me here. I am simply trying to lay a foundation that will take us to the perspective from which the Father wants to speak to us now. It was the joining of the soul of Christ to the Lord (the Holy Ghost) that allowed him to feel everything the Father felt while living in that body. It was this joining that gave him the mind and heart of God. Therefore, he was able to love as the Father loves. He was able to feel for others the way the Father felt about them. When dying on the cross, he was able to say,"Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)

This is the love of the Father being expressed through the flesh of his Son. It was the intent of the Father to produce ‘one new man,’ by Jesus Christ. Therefore, we were all baptized into one body. The concept of the one new man, was not to be a church in which individuals did their best to act like Christ or think like God. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

The idea that we are all literally baptized into one body, does not resonate with the church. It entertains this truth as theoretical. I might even go so far as to say an imaginary truth. Imaginary in the sense that it is something great to preach, but practically speaking there is no way we are all actually the literal body of Christ. That would make us all alike; having the same mind and heart relating to God and man. And looking at the church we know this could never be.

Stephen achieved this walk in the Spirit; and it was manifested during his stoning. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:60)

The mob was throwing stones at him, brutalizing his flesh, yet he forgave them and asked God to do the same. This is the heart and mind of God manifested. Let God be true and every man a liar. Paul also obtained this walk in the Spirit, and he cited God as his witness;

Philippians 1:8

8 For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.

He makes himself one with the emotions of Christ. The term ‘bowels’ refer to the inner affection, compassion and tender mercy of Jesus Christ. In other words, I feel what Jesus feels regarding you. Everything done in the New Covenant points to the oneness of the Body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17

16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

The ceremony of communion is a proclamation of our membership in the Body of Christ. It is each member proclaiming to be in holy communication with each other and the Lord himself. The bread in the ceremony represents the distribution of the Body of Christ; meaning, we are all of the same bread, though we are scattered throughout the world. When we come together to eat of it, we show forth our fellowship in the Spirit with Him and each other. The commandment was for us to love the Lord and one another. It is impossible to walk in the Spirit and not have the emotions of the Spirit.

I have said this many times in the past. But the day is upon us wherein the Lord will judge whether we are truly embracing these truths for our lives or if they remain imaginary and theoretic. Examine yourself to see if you are really in the faith. If so, then you are truly touched by the feeling of the infirmities of others. God has truly been deepening the things He has already taught. I can feel Him wooing us into belief. He is deepening the deep and causing us to question everything we know to be life and normalcy.

Even as I understood his words, my heart cried unto Him, “really Lord? Is this life actually this literal? Are you this serious about it? If you really demand this from us, it would mean that we would have to abandon everything we know to be life. Every mindset that left us comfortable in flesh or self is being eradicated by the Word, leaving no trace of ‘us’. This truly will leave us totally vulnerable and bare. We will be as fools to many, a strange people.” But He responded to me: “I have already overcome the world, I have done it in others, I can do it in you.”