The Meaning of Life

Contents
Recognising The Need
The Two Covenants
Practical Application
Supplementary Keys
Appendices

APPENDICES

1.SCRIPTURAL EXEGESIS
2.NEW COVENANT FAITH - NOT A RELIGION
3.WORKS AND REWARD
4.DIVINE HEALTH

APPENDIX 1

SCRIPTURAL EXEGESIS

It should go without saying that what we believe must be established in scripture. Jesus Himself, on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection, rebuked two of His disciples for being "slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!" Then beginning at Moses, He proceeded to expound to them from the Prophets and all the Scriptures (including the Psalms - see Luke 24:27,44), the things concerning Himself.

If Jesus Himself relied on the scriptures to be the convincing body of truth, we must be no less diligent. There is also the admonition in scripture to scrutinize what people say, and by searching through scripture, to determine if these things be true.

My proposition is foremost an exhortation to embrace the fullness of the new covenant and salvation. It is to recognize and acknowledge its difference from the old covenant and to employ its provisions.

In doing so, I unavoidably challenge what is commonly accepted doctrine among many Christian denominations today - if indeed anything can be called "commonly accepted". I readily acknowledge that a divergence of some significance from an established position can be unsettling or even threatening, so I take seriously Christ's admonition that all teaching must be thoroughly examined in the clear light of scripture.

Now I readily admit that I have no formally acceptable scholarly qualifications - in the sense of university degrees or bible school training. In fact I am one who has not even read widely - I have a limited understanding of what has been written over history concerning the things of which I have written. While I have read but a handful of theological works, most of my Christian teaching has come from listening to recorded messages from a wide variety of predominantly Pentecostal and Charismatic preachers and teachers. Among these Pentecostal and Charismatic circles, as well as with many Evangelicals, the theological positions I question here on regeneration and salvation, are ones that have generally been adopted among these groups.

The importance of challenging such positions is significant, because derived from these positions we find such controversial doctrines as "eternal assurance" (or a 'once saved always saved' position), and the eternal torment of the lost. These doctrines are widely accepted, even among the more traditional denominations.

These matters have been wrestled with by theologians over many centuries. Therefore, I cannot for a moment expect to do justice to such monumental issues in this short presentation. I do however suggest that by presenting a view hitherto unfamiliar (at least in my circles that is) on the issues of regeneration and the new covenant, I open up yet one more avenue for deeper spiritual investigation and understanding.

While I have found it necessary to take what is fundamentally a subtle yet significantly divergent position (in regard to what as appears to be a commonly held view), concerning regeneration and the new covenant, I do struggle to present such with the clarity and exhaustive exegesis perhaps warranted. My only recourse is to rely on the more scholarly students of our faith, to take the essence of what I have proposed (if what I have proposed is indeed worthy), and more comprehensively validate it from scripture.

Not-with-standing, that which follows is surely of some substance. I firmly believe the position I have taken brings the truth of scripture more clearly into perspective - particularly in terms of the broader picture conveyed in scripture and in terms of what is experienced in its outworking. I find my propositions clarify certain scriptures that have often seemed obscure, and yet I find no contrary scriptures that would nullify the position I have taken. In addition, I find the essence of what I present is already advocated within certain Christian teachings - I am not proposing something unheard of before. It is just that what I present is not "mainstream" thinking in almost all Christian denominations. Though lacking the skills of comprehensive exegesis, I shall endeavour to be brief but direct.

I have always had a problem, from an experiential position, of accepting the commonly held understanding on what actually happens when one is born again. I could never reconcile what is taught against what my experience was, and what seemed to be the experience of others.

What I wanted to know was, "If the born again experience was just my spirit being made alive, what made me a completely "new creation"? If I was crucified with Christ at Calvary - what actually died? Also, if my spirit was dead toward God prior to being born again, how did He draw me by His Spirit, engaging my spirit in His witness? And if the presence of the Holy Spirit within me was the means by which I received Christ in me (because the Holy Spirit is also technically the Spirit of Christ), what did I have to put on?" It just didn't make complete sense.

I hasten to add that it is not only dangerous but foolhardy to interpret scripture solely in the light of one's experience. What I found however, was that my genuine experience of salvation did not reconcile with the teachings I had received concerning the event. Subsequently, I discovered my experience of faith in Christ under the new covenant was significantly different to what I found scripture advocated.

Consequently, I propose to take what I understand to be commonly held teachings around these matters, identify those teachings that I have a problem with in accordance with scripture (not just in accordance with my own experience), and put forward my own scriptural position to validate my challenge. My single purpose is to identify some of the broadly accepted issues that I find at variance to both scripture and experience. Therefore, I plan to give an alternative understanding of these matters as they relate to new covenant life and salvation, validating such from scripture.

I propose to begin with scripture that I believe is widely accepted, and then derive from these truths, understandings we can extrapolate or conclude.

REGENERATION: A considerable number of Christian denominations have an understanding predominantly along these lines: "that the spirit of man is fallen and needs to be reborn so that it may become a new one. By regeneration, the spirit of man, which is dead to God (born dead), is made alive by God's Spirit - regeneration is the new birth of the spirit. The new birth imparts God's life (the Holy Spirit) to the spirit of man and new birth is something which happens entirely within the spirit - it has no relation to soul or body. During the time of regeneration the Holy Spirit comes into man's spirit and quickens it as though kindling a lamp. This is seen as the "new spirit" mentioned in Ezekiel 36:26 - the dead old spirit is quickened into life when the Holy Spirit infuses it with God's uncreated life - the Spirit of God. Hence, the Holy Spirit becomes the life of man's spirit. This also may be regarded as the life of Jesus, since Jesus and God are One, the life of God and the life of Jesus being synonymous terms. Alternatively, the life of Christ can be seen as His Word, since Jesus is the Word of God. This regeneration of the spirit subsequently renders an individual immortal, since the life the spirit receives is God's eternal life."

Unfortunately I cannot reconcile this, with scripture. Firstly, we know from experience, regeneration is not the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The scriptures also make this clear, though like a number of givens, I do not intend to demonstrate this here - such matters I consider evident enough and can be easily established from any basic bible study. The baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) follows regeneration. In our experience, regeneration occurs when the Holy Spirit sovereignly generates a new life within a person who has sincerely believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ - John 1:12-13. Acts 19 gives an account of some who had believed but had not received the Holy Spirit. We witness people truly born again but not having received the Holy Spirit in the context of Acts 2. (Now this is never meant to be the norm - anyone who is born again is regenerated for the sole purpose of receiving the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which does not specifically occur at the time of regeneration). So what is it that these ones (Acts 19 example) experienced when being born again? What specifically is regeneration?

Regeneration is the mechanism by which God is able to impart 'the Promise of the Father' - being the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. It is the new covenant instituted in us through the divine impartation of a new life. Hebrews 8 (from Jeremiah 31:31-34) specifies what the new covenant involves and that the old covenant is obsolete. In John 3 Jesus said we must be born again. Paul teaches in Romans 6 that we died with Christ, were buried with Him through baptism, and so should now walk in newness of life. In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul tells us that we are a new creature (creation), and that old things have passed away and that all things have become new. In Galatians 2 he also tells us that we have been crucified with Christ, we individually no longer live, but that it is Christ who now lives in us. Clearly then, when considering all other related and relevant scriptures, the born again experience is about receiving a new life, and is also prerequisite to receiving the Holy Spirit and entering into the new covenant. We also know that having received a new life we shall also receive the Holy Spirit. The teachers of Israel should have known this, which is why Jesus rebuked Nicodemus in John 3:10 for not knowing it, when Jesus spoke of being born again. Any scholar of scripture (as Jesus was), should have recognized that when Ezekiel (36:26-27) spoke of God's promise to give them a new heart and to put a new spirit within them, that this was regeneration. Then (and only then) would God put His own Spirit within them - this is the essence of the new covenant experience. The promise to put His Holy Spirit within man is evidence that this passage is linked to the new covenant experience, and it is in the balance of the passage we recognise that regeneration is prerequisite to entering into that new covenant. Jesus knew this but Nicodemus did not.

The disciples were born again in the upper room after Jesus resurrection, when He breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit." (John 20:22) This same event is acknowledged in Luke 24:49 when Jesus, at the same time He had breathed on them said, "Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you:..." This Jesus spoke, concerning the new covenant, the promise of things spoken by Ezekiel in chapter 36:26-27. So then, regeneration is newness of life and it is God giving us a new heart (taking the heart of stone out of our flesh and giving us a heart of flesh) and putting a new spirit within us. This act of God is the act of regeneration. From the disciples experience of this event described in Ezekiel 36, we also see that the impartation of the Holy Spirit ('the Promise of the Father' which is God putting His Spirit into us) occurred as a subsequent event to being born again. The Holy Spirit impartation occurred sometime later on the day of Pentecost, when they were baptized in the Holy Spirit.

It is only because of our fragmented beliefs, application, and experience, that we have problems with understanding. Regeneration and receiving the 'Promise of the Father' (the indwelling of the Holy Spirit), is intended to be a seamless event. Peter makes this clear in Acts 2:37-38, when those who had heard his preaching were convicted of their sin and asked what they should do. Peter replied, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." To repent, to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of our sins, and to follow through with water baptism is our responsibility. Having fulfilled this responsibility, the Holy Spirit will regenerate us with a new life (new heart and new spirit - the life of Christ), and God will then put His Holy Spirit within us, thus fulfilling the 'Promise of the Father'. Many believers do experience this as a seamless event at the time of water baptism. They make their confession of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ before the witness of others, are then fully immersed in water baptism, and come up out of the water to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit, being evidenced through their speaking in tongues and even some prophesying.

In regard to establishing a scriptural foundation, my proposition is based on the following premise: God breathed life into Adam at creation, but Adam sinned and the life in him was corrupted by sin, and Adam was polluted - body, soul, and spirit. Thus he lived under the power of that corruption. The corrupted life of Adam, having polluted man, is represented by what scripture calls "the old man" - which we understand as having a sinful nature. The old man is essentially the sinful self-life, the corrupt life from Adam. It is not our body, soul, or spirit, and so when we are crucified with Christ by faith, it is not our body, soul, or spirit that dies. What dies is this life from Adam - it is our Adamic life, which is both self-centred and sinful, that is crucified. Jesus came from heaven as the second man, having none of the corrupt life from Adam by way of procreation. Like Adam, Jesus had life. Like Adam, Jesus was tempted. But unlike Adam, Jesus did not sin, so when He died, He died to sin (once for all). In doing so, He ended the unbroken lineage of the corrupt life in Adam, hence Jesus was the 'last Adam'. Now when Jesus was raised from the dead, the life He received back again, is forever incorruptible - it can no longer sin. So, when we are born again, receiving from the Holy Spirit the implanted resurrected life of Jesus, we receive a new life that cannot sin. This is why 1Cor 15:45 says, "And so it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being.' The last Adam became a life-giving spirit." Jesus is the one who provided for all of us a new life, and what we receive through regeneration by the Holy Spirit is the "life" Jesus gives. This must be seen in contrast to the life crucified, the "life" we received from Adam.

Regeneration is essentially an exchange of life! The old Adamic life is crucified with Christ. He was made sin for us and died the death all must die. Because He was not worthy or deserving of death, God was able to raise Him up again with the uncorrupted perfect sinless life He gave up. This resurrected life is the 'new life' we receive by grace through faith in the process of regeneration.

BODY SOUL SPIRIT: Given that regeneration is the receiving of a new life and that this new life is established by the receiving of a new heart and a new spirit, we can now consider what actually transpires in the human condition. We understand that man is tripartite and I agree. At creation God breathed life into man and he became a living soul. My divergence from what appears to be commonly accepted, is that I now believe that what we receive through the creation experience, is a "life force" that is more than the sum of the parts. Many regard human life as simply a body and soul with a spirit, which is of itself, the life. They conclude that when God breathed life into man, God implanted in man a human spirit, which gives life to the body, and that from this transaction, man becomes a living soul. This suggests that life is an outcome - our created spirit, not a distinctly separate entity. Now scripture seems to sustain this proposition in the initial plain reading of it. However, subsequent events, such as the born again experience, require that we re-examine this proposition. It is my perception, that life is something additional to our human spirit, soul, and body. When God breathed into Adam's nostrils, he became a living soul. This spirit (breath) God breathed into man, did indeed establish the human condition of soul and spirit in Adam's body, but the life that resulted was more than the sum of the parts (spirit, soul, and body). I propose therefore, that it is "the spirit of life" that sustains life in man. Subsequently, when Adam sinned, it was this "life" of Adam that was corrupted by Adam's choice to sin, thus exerting a corrupting influence into the whole of man - body, soul, and spirit. This life breathed into Adam, that subsequently became corrupted, is not the 'spirit of the man', but the 'spirit of life'. The implications are that while man is corrupted by a "sinful life force" (made sinful not by God who gave life, but by man who corrupted it through sinful disobedience), his spirit, soul, and body (the essence of man) though polluted, remains redeemable. The "life force" however, is not. Though the soul that sins shall surely die, death being the extinguishing of that corrupted life force, the human make-up of spirit, soul, and body, is capable of receiving a replacement "life force" - an incorruptible one. This new life force, as embraced and appropriated by man, is the life force Jesus established incorruptible, and it is the same life that will take man into an eternal existence.

SPIRIT AND LIFE: Can any man say we fully understand spirit and life? The construct of body, soul, and spirit, has merit. But it does not adequately explain life. There is life and there is our human spirit. They are certainly interdependent, for scripture teaches that, "... the body without the spirit is dead, ..." (James 2:26), but they are not interchangeable nor synonymous terms. What is life and what does it consist of? Scripture teaches (Deut 29:29), "that the secret things belong to God but those things which are revealed belong to man." So in some things, like knowing exactly what life is (learning the secret of life), it would seem we must be content to remain unenlightened. Life is in all of creation. Ecclesiastes refers to the spirit of beast. If our human spirit 'is life', then do mosquitoes have a spirit, or plants, or amoebas, or micro-organism - do all livings things also have a spirit? If Adam's sin merely brought death to his spirit, how has the whole creation suffered corruption? Did other creatures sin? Rom 8:20-21 "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." Adam's sin, it would seem, brought corruption to the whole of life yet it is unclear exactly how this transpired. When referring to the life of all creatures, God says in Gen 7:22 (NKJV) "All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, all that was on the dry land, died." The term 'the breath of the spirit of life' (one that is not employed in most versions but is accepted and verified as the exact Hebrew translation of the term) clearly proposes that life is a spirit. It makes no sense to say 'the breath of the breath of life', so some translations simply render this verse as 'the breath of life'. In doing so, they remove the clear definition, established in the Hebrew text, that there is a 'spirit of life'.

Now we know that God is 'spirit' and the Holy Spirit is the 'Spirit' of God. But there are all kinds of spirits, bad and good, including the seven spirits before the throne of God (perhaps the seven spirits mentioned in Isaiah 11:2). The truth is we really do not understand spirit in all its fullness. We barely have any notion of our own spirit. But the truth is that the whole of creation is corrupt.

Adam had life breathed into Him from God, and that life continues today through procreation. Adam's sin brought corruption to that life (just one sin), and so corruption continues through procreation. My proposition is that it is "mans' life force" that is corrupt. And in man, this "life force" is the Adamic 'spirit of life' that is corrupt, polluting the whole of man (spirit, soul, and body). Therefore we need "new life" to escape this pervasive corruption and its inevitable consequence of death. Hence death (by faith in Christ at His crucifixion) is our deliverance from the Adamic life force, and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is God's provision for us to receive the new life force - a new 'spirit of life'.

Rom 8:2 "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." Now I've quoted that verse exactly as the NKJV translators (and most translators) have written it. Their interpretation is for Spirit to have a capital 'S', thereby inferring that it is the Holy Spirit. But it could just as easily have been accorded a small 's' for spirit. The basis for determining whether the term used in the original text is 'Spirit' or 'spirit' is simply contextual. In other words, it depends upon how you interpret the context of the passage. As it is, it reads: for the "law of the Spirit" of "life in Christ Jesus" has made me free from the "law of sin and death". There is implied a 'law of the Spirit' and a 'law of sin and death'. Now put in a small 's' and you've got, for the "law of the spirit of life" in Christ Jesus has made me free from the "law of sin and death". Here we have the "spirit of life" referred to again in a regenerational context. In Gen 7:22 the 'spirit of life' (the corrupt Adamic life), was in all living creatures on the dry land; bugs and all. In Rom 8:2 the 'spirit of life' (the sinless Christ life), was in Christ Jesus and it comes to us through regeneration. The law of this 'spirit of life' sets us free from the law of sin and death because it is the same 'spirit of life' that was in Christ Jesus who overcame sin and death. As I try to understand what is the "law of the Spirit", it makes less sense. There is no other scriptural reference to a "law of the Spirit". However, whatever way you read this passage, you inevitably come to the same conclusion with regard to freedom from sin and death. But I suggest we have further evidence that regeneration is not simply the making alive of our spirit, but it is the impartation of the very life of Jesus, being "the spirit of life in Christ Jesus". (NOTE: While I propose the bold notion that the translators have got their original rendering of this Rom 8:2 passage wrong, I do assert, that the principle of regeneration and a 'new life', does not hang on the "spirit of life" concept. Whether we simply retain our acceptance of "new life" in the prevailing understanding, or whether we acknowledge that there is a "spirit of life", makes no substantial difference to the reality and outworking of new covenant life in Christ Jesus. The principle truth to grasp is that regeneration is the impartation of the very life of Jesus born into us, rather than simply a making alive of our own spirit.)

What then is the relevance? The relevance is in understanding what God meant when He said, "I will ... put a new spirit within you;" David cried out to God in Psalm 51:10, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." God answered David's cry in His proclamation of His provision, embodied in the promised new covenant. God says (Ezekiel 36:26), "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." This promise of God is provided for in regeneration - when we are born again. Scripture makes clear that man consists of spirit, soul, and body (1Thess 5:23 and 2Cor 7:1), and we retain this constitution through the process of regeneration. Man's uniqueness is in the aspect of his soul - we are created in His image. There is nothing in Scripture to suggest man's soul is ever replaced - a renewed and transformed mind yes, but still the same soul. Salvation is the saving of the soul. It is clear however, that every believer's body will be resurrected and replaced with a new glorious body. It would seem clear enough too then, that regeneration is not the removal of the existing human spirit and a replacement of a new human spirit (as is the case with our heart). Therefore, the question is, "At regeneration, exactly what transpires when God puts within us a "new spirit"? There seems to be just two possibilities. One is that we receive a completely new (replacement) human spirit; or two, we receive a "new spirit" being something else. Clearly this "new spirit" Ezekiel speaks of is not the Holy Spirit, since he goes on to specifically add that God would put His Spirit within us also. To propose that the "new spirit" put within us simply results in a "making alive" of our own spirit is just not in context with the passage. Now I agree that receiving this "new spirit" does indeed 'renew a steadfast (or right) spirit within us' (as David prayed), but that occurs as a by-product of the new spirit we receive. David asked God to "renew a steadfast spirit within me." The Hebrew word for 'renew' is 'chadash' meaning "to be new, cause to rebuild:- renew" In God's response of "I will put a new spirit within you", the Hebrew word for 'new' is a derivative of the same word 'chadash' (being spelt the same but with a dagesh ^ over both 'a's in chadash, while in renew it is just over the first 'a'). The meaning of 'new' is, "new:- fresh, new thing." In the context of these passages, while it is arguable that the "new spirit" God promises to put within us actually results in a renewal of our existing human spirit, it is not satisfactory to conclude that this is all that it is. I cannot see how that could be the best interpretation, for we would have to accept that "new spirit" merely results in "renewed spirit" - nothing actually new added. I propose that the more accurate interpretation is that this "new spirit" is something else. If so, what could that be? It could therefore, quite feasibly be the new "spirit of life" that gives life to us as a new creature. In that sense it would certainly be a new spirit. We accept that when God breathed into Adam at creation, he imparted spirit - the breath of the spirit of life. Jesus in the upper room demonstrated regeneration, after His resurrection, when He (as a divine being acting as God) also breathed life into existence when breathing on the disciples. This too can be considered the impartation of spirit - the breath of the spirit of "new" life. It is reasonable therefore, to conclude that the "new spirit" God speaks of putting within us, together with the new heart of flesh He gives us, is the in-breathed "new life" of Jesus, imparted to us by the Holy Spirit when we are born again.

We can take comfort in the knowledge that irrespective of just how we reconcile the experience of regeneration and the outcome of "new life" with those scriptures that specify it (Ezek 36:26), it is not necessarily fundamental to the effective experience of it. Consequently, just how you regard what transpires at regeneration concerning the "new spirit" put within us, has no real bearing on the experiential truth that we are indeed born again and have the very life of Christ imparted to us. We can live as victorious overcoming children of God in close relationship with God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and never need fully understand how it all works.
The reason we struggle to fully understand these things is because we really don't know for sure about spirit and life. What we can know is the experience that works. What is important however, is that the foundation or basis for what we believe, can be substantiated in scripture. From what I have explained here, I propose that I have been able to successfully do so. I believe that to limit the born again experience to simply the making alive of our own human spirit, claiming our spirits to be dead prior to regeneration, is an error. While the spirit may indeed be renewed, it was never dead (or even dead to God) beforehand. Sin brought corruption. Some emphasize that sin brought death to the spirit of man; the spirit is dead to God. Yet many Old Testament and pre-born again New Testament characters had communion with God, which must have incorporated the function of the human spirit - so how can the spirit of pre-regeneration believers be dead to God? I find this contradictory or at best confusing or inconsistent. I cannot accept that unregenerate man's spirit is completely dead toward God. Before I was saved, I distinctly recall the Holy Spirit speaking to me. The sense in which He communicated with me was the same both before and after I was regenerated. No person can come to Jesus except the Father draws Him. If a person's spirit is dead to God before he is born again, how would he sense the Holy Spirit (or God the Father) drawing him? So if we can be receptive to God in our spirit before we are born again, then what exactly transpires when one is born again? I believe I have gone some way toward addressing that.
HEART AND FLESH: Clearly scripture teaches that the heart of man is wicked and evil. Jesus clearly reinforced Jeremiah's assertion that the heart of man was "deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (incurably sick)" - Jer 17:9. Jesus had said that out of the heart proceeds all manner of evil. He also said (to His disciples no less), "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children ..." thus reinforcing the need of man for a "new heart".

Given that the corrupted life of Adam results in a corrupted heart, it makes perfect sense to see how the incorruptible life of Jesus imparted to us through regeneration establishes in us a new incorruptible heart - this being embodied in the receiving of a new heart and a new spirit as spoken of by Ezekiel.

What then is our heart, and what is the new heart spoken of in Ezekiel 36? The unregenerate heart is a heart of stone. The regenerate heart is a heart of flesh. There is much that could be said about this, but to do so would not add sufficient substance to the matter at hand. The heart in unregenerate man is the seat of desire. From it flow words out of our mouth. It is the expression of our self-life, the corrupt life of Adam. It is the essence of the "old man". When God gives us a new heart, He takes out the heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh. This heart of flesh is the essence of the life of Christ, the essence of the new man. We perceive it immediately we have been born again. Almost immediately, a number of sinful ways fall away. We suddenly have a new motivation to hunger after God and righteousness that we never had before. These are the first effects of the new heart. The old corrupt heart is dealt to at the cross.

James, in chapter 3, discusses at length the tongue. The tongue is merely the instrument of the heart, as Jesus taught when He spoke about the wickedness that comes out of the mouth of a man. James asks how it is, that out of the same mouth proceed both blessing and cursing? He then asks if a spring can send forth both fresh and bitter water from the same opening. He also asks if a fig tree can bear olives or a grapevine bear figs? The answer to all three of his questions is clearly no, they cannot. He concludes by saying (v12b), "...Thus no spring can yield both salt water and fresh." James is referring to the heart of man. The unregenerate corrupted life of man is exemplified in his evil heart. The only produce from an evil heart is evil, for it comes from the one corrupted source - even when we dress it up, cloak it, and make it seem good. If the source is evil, that's what you'll get. The new heart we get, being the expression of the new life of Jesus in us, can only produce good.

The flesh represents the desires of our corrupted heart, expressed through mind and body. They include all our base desires and lusts. Many are listed throughout the New Testament scriptures. Gal 5:24, "And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." The flesh is accustomed to being dominated by the power of sin. Sin is a power in the world. It is a pervasive force like gravity. This power of sin only has an effect or influence over the corrupt life and sinful nature. When a person dies physically, or with Christ on the cross by faith, this power of sin no longer has power over the dead. Rom 8:13 talks about putting to death, by the Spirit, the deeds of the body. The desires of our evil heart are expressed through the works of the flesh. The old man's evil desires (those of our self-life) are manifested in the works of the flesh. The old man is crucified with Christ ('I' - the self-life, am crucified with Christ), so the Spirit can effectively put to death the deeds of the body (the works of the flesh) by leading us in the things of the Spirit. When we put off the old man, we put off his deeds. Therefore we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh because we are walking in the Spirit, having put on the new man (the life of Christ regenerated in us), "which was created according to God, in righteousness and true holiness" (Eph 4:24) and "who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,..." (Col 3:10).

CONCLUSION: There is much more that could be said in relation to these things. There are many scriptures we can study that reinforce what I have proposed. But as I said earlier, I must leave this for those more adept at such exegesis than I. We are all living souls. We are all made in the image of God, and that is reflected in our soul. Jesus, the Son of God, equal with God, has a soul too (Mat 26:38). To me, regeneration is the receiving of a new sinless life (the very resurrected, incorruptible life of Jesus) and employing that life through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, to live as Jesus lived - to walk just as He walked. It is receiving a new heart and a new spirit, of exactly the same kind Jesus walked in. It is the Holy Spirit that 'causes' us to walk in God's statutes and to keep His judgements and do them. In the outworking of this process, our soul is transformed by the renewing of the mind. All facets of our soul are able to function in the power of a new sinless life. All our emotions can be freely expressed in the power of a new sinless life under the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our spirit certainly has the ascendancy, but as we are led by the Holy Spirit in all things, His Spirit working through our spirit, our soul can respond as Jesus' soul responded.

While this new life of Jesus may well be an eternal life, the prospect of our soul living eternally has still yet to be apprehended. In Phil 3, Paul talks about receiving the resurrection life of Jesus (v10), and that if, by any means, he might attain to the resurrection from the dead (v11) saying "not that I have already attained...", and that he needs to "press on to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of him..." (v12), which is of course eternal life.

God wants man to live with Him forever. He always has. Because of love, we must choose to do that. We demonstrate to God our sincerity and determination to live with Him forever through turning from sin and obeying His commandments. We must demonstrate both our willing rejection of self-determination and our willing submission to God and His will. How could we endure eternity where God's will reigns supreme, if we have not willingly surrendered and submitted our will to His will in this temporary life. Life on earth is our opportunity to prove to God, that we want that (to live with Him forever under His supreme unchallenged reign and will), and that we are prepared to willingly conform to His will, in this life, to prove it. The effective accomplishment of this is indeed a divine work of grace and is not something we do of ourselves. However we each have a responsibility in this process. Unless we "forsake all, deny ourselves, take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus" we can fall short. Hebrews 2:1-3 speaks of giving "...the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away." and also "... how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation,..." These scriptures, together with so many others that warn us to 'continue', to 'hold fast', and the like, fit so much more sensibly into a concept of a regeneration that speaks of eternal life being the reward rather than an unalterable event.

Under old covenant conditions mans' promise of eternal life was assured by exercising faith in God, and endeavouring always to please Him by striving to keep His laws. The corrupt life of Adam hindered this objective most seriously, yet faithfulness to the end brought the just reward.

Christ provides a new life no longer subject to corruption and sin, so we can effectively demonstrate to God our desire to live with Him for ever, by appropriating His provision through Christ, to live righteously in obedience to His will and word.

While we certainly have eternal life in us, we are not irrevocably bound to it, in the sense that we cannot be free of it. As shown above, Paul was still looking to apprehend eternal life. The end of our faith is the salvation of our souls. There are several scriptures that clearly indicate that there will be those who believed and were born again, but do not enter into eternal life. All of God's people that fall short, (clearly demonstrating to God by their life choices, that they themselves want to retain self-determination, and do what they want when they want to, not being willing to surrender and submit their will completely to God) both under the old covenant and the new covenant, will end up in the Lake of Fire, which is the second death.

The new covenant provides us a more effective means to serve God in love and obedience. It is our opportunity to appropriate all that Christ provides and "lay hold on eternal life" as Paul exhorted Timothy (1Tim 6:12).

Certainly I agree that through regeneration our spirit is in some part made more alive to God - renewed. But I do not agree that we receive eternal life in such a way that we will forever live eternally irrespective of anything that transpires after regeneration - (once saved always saved is clearly not scriptural but this is not the occasion to debate that). Nothing of our essential make up (body, soul, or spirit) is fundamentally altered to become immortal. Scripture clearly teaches that Christ alone has immortality and that we seek immortality by patient continuance in doing good. Ezekiel 18 and 33 both speak of how a man must maintain righteousness to his death or he shall not live but die. Likewise, one who turns from wickedness to do right shall also live and not die. It is not how one starts out that matters, but how one finishes. If God judges those who turned from righteousness under the old covenant, how can He not similarly judge those who turn from righteousness under a new covenant? Hebrews 10 is one of several passages that make this clear. A born again believer, through neglect and willful choice, can lose their salvation. It is indeed a grave error that much of the current church of Jesus Christ has been taught that once saved always saved - a dangerous and erroneous doctrine based on the premise that when one is born again their spirit is irrevocably made alive with an eternal life. This is just not so! I also cannot agree that we receive the Holy Spirit at regeneration - we receive the work of regeneration by the Holy Spirit in us; for we receive the Holy Spirit in His fullness through the baptism of the Holy Spirit...

APPENDIX 2

NEW COVENANT FAITH - NOT A RELIGION

Say you are asked the question, "Are you a Christian?" Most of us would be happy to reply, "Yes." But have you ever paused to consider what connotations and associations your answer generates in the thinking of the person who asked you that question?

What is a Christian? We'd like to think it means: "A believer in, and follower of Jesus Christ. A disciple of Jesus Christ." And of course this is true. The Greek definition of Christian is, "follower of Christ". The early followers of Jesus were first called Christians in Antioch of Syria, shortly before Paul embarked on his first missionary journey. It was possibly a derogatory term, and its origins are from unbelievers, not the believers themselves. But whatever the intent of its application, people like to define things - put them in a box. The term Christian, neatly categorized this diverse group of Jews and pagans who spoke of belonging to a king Jesus Christ. Yet interestingly enough, there is just the one reference of the term, in all of the writings of the apostles. That is from Peter in 1 Pet 4:16.

Words change their meaning over time and we often need to be careful what word we use in what context. Colloquial usage of terms such as: gay, wicked, cool, and the like, can have quite a different (and sometimes opposite) meaning, to the original. Then there is the association of a word. For example liberal, conservative, and fundamental are all terms that have come to be accorded quite distinct associations. All true believers would, by definition, be fundamentalists. However a "fundamentalist" has the association of being a 'bigoted right-wing bible basher' in the minds of many. So while a word may have a good and genuine definition in its origin, what it has come to mean in everyday language, is equally important in its usage.

So it is with Christian. It does not really matter what you believe Christian means to you, what is important is what it means to others. More importantly, you should not be concerned with defending the term Christian, but from communicating you are a follower of Christ. When we tell someone, "I am a Christian", this conveys a diverse range of meaning to a wide range of people. We simply cannot rely on the term communicating that we are a follower of Jesus.

What we must reconcile is this. Do we want to embrace all the connotations the term Christian implies, as envisioned in the minds of many people? I would think not. Would you say, "I'm having a gay time"? Probably not, because of the connotations of the word 'gay' in our language today.

Perhaps more importantly, 'Christian' associates us with the religion of 'Christianity'. There can be no argument that Christianity is a religion - that fact is indisputable. Yet Jesus never came to establish a religion. Jesus was not the first Christian. He came to bring life and set individuals free. He came to establish His church, a people separated out from the world, a people belonging to God. This body of people, Christ's own, were never intended to be considered a religion. And in truth they are not. Being a follower of Jesus does not make you part of a religion.

The apostle Paul was very careful to maintain this. The Jewish faith, under the old covenant, is a religion. Paul spoke about being free from the law and about being free from all men, yet making himself a servant to all. In 1Cor 9:20-23, Paul spoke about becoming 'as a Jew to win Jews'; about becoming 'as one under the law to win those under the law'; about becoming 'as one without law to win those without law'; about becoming 'as weak to win the weak'; about becoming 'all things to all men, that he might by all means save some'. Paul knew bondage and he knew liberty. He was a Jew and a Roman, yet throughout his ministry, he still identified as being a Jew. Yet he says in Philippians chapter 3, that what things were gain to him, he counted loss for Christ; in fact he counted all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord.

So it is clear, Paul never regarded his faith in Christ to be a new religion. To become a follower of Jesus is not to join a religion. However, to call oneself a Christian, is to identify with a religion by default. Unfortunately, we cannot escape that fact. We may not agree, but society has consigned it to be so - Christianity is indisputably regarded as a religion in all societies.

The importance of this may not be immediately recognised. So what's wrong with being part of a religion? Well for those in it, probably not a lot, providing it remains clear in their thinking that they are a follower of Christ. But the term Christian and the religion of Christianity can be a monumental stumbling block for the unsaved, or even more so for the disaffected. Certainly, Christ is an offense. But when the offense is simply a religion, and has nothing to do with Christ and the gospel of the kingdom, we have a tremendous impediment and hindrance to sharing the gospel.

Paul says in 1Cor 8:13, "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble." Paul knew the liberty he had to eat meats offered to idols, for in Christ, these were nothing. Yet he would not exercise his right to liberty if it were to offend a brother in Christ, and cause that brother to stumble. This is the same Paul who became all things to all people so that he might win some. Therefore, I cannot ever see Paul referring to himself as a Christian, or connected to Christianity, given the current meaning of these terms in the wider understanding of societies in the world today.

It goes without saying that we must hold to our faith, but that faith is NOT Christianity. It goes without saying that we must confess Christ as Lord and King, but that confession is NOT to say you are a Christian. Many call themselves Christian who are anything but a follower of Jesus.

Why the big deal? Well in some circles it has no relevance whether you call yourself a Christian or not, providing you are a follower of Jesus. But in many circles it does. When we represent Christianity and its institutions, rather than Christ and the kingdom of God, we are effectively communicating to an unsaved person, "If you want to follow Jesus, you need to become a Christian and join the religion of Christianity." This is indeed counter-productive. In certain instances, it is to our advantage as a potential soul-winner for Christ, to completely disassociate ourselves with the term Christian, and the religion of Christianity.

This is most important in the Muslim world. Christ did not come to convert Muslims to Christians. He did not come to take Muslims out of Islam and put them in Christianity. While some Muslims do convert, and are happy to do so, the cost in terms of family and societal ostracism is huge. But for a Muslim to become a Christian is not necessary to be a follower of Jesus or to be saved. Jesus never required Jews to become Christians. He only required them to receive Him and to follow Him. So Jesus never asks Muslims to become Christians. He only requires them to receive Him and to follow Him.

If a believer and follower of Jesus, chooses to identify as a Christian, that's fine. If a believer and follower of Jesus, chooses to identify as a Jew, that's fine. If a believer and follower of Jesus, chooses to identify as a person without any religious affiliation, that's fine. If a believer and follower of Jesus, chooses to identify as a gang member, that's fine. If a believer and follower of Jesus, chooses to identify as a Muslim, that's fine. Any believer and follower of Jesus, can choose to identify with any people group or religious affiliation they like, and it should be fine. The issue is not in the identification or affiliation. The issue is always and only in the faith and love they have for Christ, - the One who sets them free and brings them into the kingdom of God.

Let us cease from labeling and boxing that which Christ never intended to be labeled or boxed. More importantly, let us never require anyone to become something that is not part of what Christ requires. And what does Christ require? Simply that we each become a follower and disciple of His.

"Are you a Christian?" I am asked.
"What do you mean by Christian?" I reply.
Depending on what Christian means to them, I will respond to make it clear I am a follower of Jesus and a son of the kingdom of God. More than likely, particularly if the person I am speaking with is an unbeliever, I will not identify myself as a Christian or part of the religion of Christianity. If that person is a fellow believer, solid in faith, I am happy to identify with them as a fellow Christian.

I am not on any campaign to "re-brand" the followers of Jesus. The fact remains, no matter what we do, the world will always label us and box us - that is inevitable. It is our choice however, to determine whether we see any advantage in accepting that labeling or boxing, and if not, we are free to reject it. Christian and Christianity are terms that will be with us until Christ returns. We must however, be aware and sensitive, as to whether it is advantageous and profitable, or counter-productive and detrimental, to do so. Winning souls for Christ is the paramount objective. Therefore, let us not require something of the faith that was never intended by Christ, and something that may well create an impediment to salvation.

APPENDIX 4

DIVINE HEALTH

The new covenant is all about God's provision for His special people (or as 1Peter 2:9 declares, "But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,...), to walk in the obedience of Christ. That provision is established in the work of Jesus Christ through the cross of Calvary. Essentially, everything we have or need or will ever need, is provided through the cross. The cross is the fount of all life and provision for the children of God. When Jesus said, "It is finished", He meant it - there is nothing more that needs to be done for the salvation or provision of man.

Unfortunately, we the church of Jesus Christ, have not been living in the fullness of God's provision. As this book has set out to show, we have not even been appropriating the new covenant. One facet of life that is related, but not directly linked to the objective of this book, is divine health. Divine health is essentially Christ's health made available to us through what Jesus accomplished through the cross. This health is Jesus' health. We have His life in us, as this book has set out to prove, and because He not only took our old man to the cross, but all our infirmities, sicknesses, and diseases, we also have His health. But just like every other provision of the cross, His health must be appropriated by faith.

In the chapter The Gospel of the Kingdom, I raised the point that, in my view, we are predominantly dependent upon the world for the three most important facets of life. These are financial provision, health, and education. You probably gathered from my comments that my perception in the Holy Spirit, is that God is not at all pleased with this. In fact I'd say the root of most of our problems in the church of Jesus Christ, are a direct result of our lingering attachment and dependence on the world - a world that Jesus specifically said He had overcome.

Many theologians and bible teachers have addressed the issue of health and healing, so what I write here is nothing necessarily new. The frustration is that despite clear biblical teaching directing us, we have not heeded that teaching - the church of Jesus Christ is generally no healthier than the unbelieving population.

Some consider sin to be the prominent reason for sickness and/or infirmity persisting in a believer's life. While scripture clearly links sin with sickness, I cannot accept that sin is the primary cause of the prevailing lack of health among believers. Health like forgiveness is founded on the basis of what Jesus has accomplished, not on what we do. A believer, born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, is forgiven and made righteous, maintaining that forgiveness and righteousness even though they are still working through sin issues. No believer loses their righteousness in Christ simply because they sin from time to time. On the same basis, the believer is healed and receives divine health through Christ's sacrifice at Calvary, and so occasional sin issues from time to time are not going to negate that health. Sin is steadfastly dealt with through the process of sanctification, and such sin cannot negate the greater authority and power of what Christ has accomplished.

Persistent or prevailing poor health I believe, is primarily a result of ignorance leading to a lack of faith. Now one could quote the scripture, "What ever is not of faith is sin", and thereby validate that if sickness is due to a lack of faith, then it is indeed sin. While biblically rational it is not the emphasis I wish to bring. Certainly sin of one kind or another is at the root of all our shortcomings and failures. But sin is a deeply rooted failing of man inherent in his Adamic life. New covenant life in Christ delivers man from a corrupt life of sin and implants through regeneration the pure sinless life of Christ. While sin may still have expression through regenerate man, that fundamental root of Christ's life provides a foundation for all of Christ's provision in salvation to be appropriated. Therefore, despite the need for every believer to deal with sin as they transition from the Adamic life to the Christ life (e.g. putting off and to death all that is of the old man and putting on all that is of the new man), the core establishment of Christ's life within and His full provision of salvation, can indeed be our complete experience.

This truth is critical to our understanding, thus eliminating our ignorance, so that faith may have a solid foundation to appropriate Christ's provision - particularly divine health. Man in his natural born state, having the corrupt life of Adam, has no capacity to function with any of the provision of salvation in Christ. In respect of health, his body in under the power of sin, and cannot escape sin's ravages. While he may be healed (either by natural or spiritual means), he has no capacity to retain health consistently, because sin will inevitably continue to wreak its invidious effects, bringing and/or sustaining infirmity, sickness and disease.

However, the born again believer has received the incorruptible, pure and sinless life of Christ within his body. He is a new creation (new creature) and now has the capacity to retain healing and health because sin has no power over this life. Armed with this knowledge of truth, the believer, by grace through faith, appropriates this provision and walks in divine health and wholeness. Every believer must see that it is the Christ life within them that provides the substance for overcoming sickness and disease.

It is a valid conclusion to draw that sickness and disease are a direct result of the corruption of sin. Due to Adam's transgression, death and corruption entered into man. Denied access to the Tree of Life, man's body started to age and decay - inexorably leading to death. Aging however is not a sickness or disease as such, so while death is inevitable, it is evident that one can still live free of sickness and disease. So then where does sickness and disease come from?

I think it is acceptable to conclude that sickness and disease comes as a matter of course because man is inherently sinful by nature. The corruption of the life and nature of man, and the sin that we just can't avoid, ultimately leads to sickness and disease having access to our bodies. There is however, a clear link between sickness and disease and the judgement of God.

The first direct mention of sickness and disease comes from Exodus 15:26
"... If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."
Again in Exodus 23:25-26
"So you shall serve the Lord your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days."
Again in Deut 7:15
"And the Lord will take away from you all sickness, and will afflict you with none of the terrible diseases of Egypt which you have known, but will lay them on all those who hate you."
Further in Deut 28: 60-61, we see the consequence of Israel's rebellion and disobedience:
"Moreover He will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt, of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, will the Lord bring upon you until you are destroyed."

The above scriptures clearly demonstrate the following:
a)God has put disease and sickness on people as a form of judgement.
b)Under the Mosaic "Old Covenant" obedience brought a promise of freedom from sickness, disease, miscarriage, and barrenness - with a full life.
c)Before the Mosaic "Old Covenant" and its promises, God's people knew sickness and disease.
d)God is our healer.

But although this shows the nature and origin of disease and sickness, I want to remind you that concerning God's people, it is old covenant. For the Israelites under the old covenant, health and healing operated on a "do-receive" principle. I trust by now, you have acknowledged and accepted that new covenant has nothing to do with the "do-receive" principle. New covenant is all about grace - which God gives freely because of what Jesus has done. The principle for our getting is not in our "doing", it is in our "believing" - this is the life of faith.

Because we are under a new covenant, we cannot simply transfer these promises directly to us. Now that is a good thing because what the old covenant says in effect is: "If you keep my word faithfully I will greatly bless you but if you don't, I will greatly afflict you." It is good, in that as believers in Christ, when we fall short of God's word, we are not going to get God's judgement and affliction upon us, because we are not under law of the old covenant, but we are under grace of the new covenant. The purpose or value of these scriptures, for those of us who are under the new covenant, is that we can identify God's position on sickness and health, and that both are directly under His complete authority. We can also recognise in God's character, His desire for His people to be well and in full health. It is logical then to expect this provision under the new covenant - and of course it is.

The principles we can expect to be incorporated within the new covenant are:
a)God's heart and desire is to greatly bless His people and that they would be in health and live a full life.
b)When we fall short of His word, His grace covers us but we can't receive of His fullness - but note, it is not a judgement of God upon us. We suffer simply because we do not appropriate the fullness of His grace available to us for health. There is a scriptural link between sin and sickness in James, 1 Corinthians, and the gospels, because sin is the source of all sickness. But the remedy, following repentance, is faith in appropriating Christ's health provision, rather than any "doing" that deals to our sick or sinful condition. I must emphasise again, our health comes not from a 'do-receive' principle, but a 'believe-receive' principle of faith.
c)God is our healer.

By grace through faith in Christ Jesus we are born again, we become children of God, we are crucified with Christ and Christ's life now lives in us, and in addition we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. You will recall that the Holy Spirit is given to "cause" us to walk in Christ's obedience. Well, the Holy Spirit is also given to establish Christ's health in us - it is He who will do it, not our worldly "health remedies and practices".

This wonderful salvation we enter into under the new covenant is far more comprehensive than most believers understand or are taught. In 2Pet 1:3 we see: "as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,"
Now "all things" means, ALL things. As mentioned above, when Jesus died on the cross He said, "It is finished." If it was finished then, it is finished now - there is nothing more God needs to do for us that has not been accomplished at the cross. We have it all. The problem is we are just not appropriating it all.

This teaching is not the place to cover the full provision of salvation - we are just focusing on health. However, it can been demonstrated from scripture that the cross provides for every believer: forgiveness, righteousness, justification, acceptance, peace, life now and eternal life to come, obedience, freedom from the curse of the law, freedom from sin, deliverance, abundant provision, glory, blessing, healing and health. And this is not a comprehensive list - ALL THINGS are provided through Christ.

The cornerstone of the cross is Isaiah 53. From this chapter, we recognise that we have forgiveness and peace because Christ suffered for us. Most believers have no lasting difficulty receiving by grace God's forgiveness and peace, and this becomes their experience in a very real way.

In Matthew 8:17 part of the passage from Isaiah 53:4a is quoted: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."
Isaiah uses the words "griefs" and "sorrows" but a study of the words used in these parallel passages in Hebrew and Greek makes it clear that these include "infirmities" and "sicknesses" as quoted in Matthew. Infirmity is a word that covers a wide range of conditions from "feebleness of mind or body, malady, moral frailty, disease, infirmity, weakness, and sickness'.

Further, in Isaiah 53:5 (the last line) we find: "And by His stripes we are healed." In 1Pet 2:24b the end of the verse refers to this same passage from Isaiah when Peter says: "... - by whose stripes you were healed."

It is interesting that Peter uses the past sense "were healed". This is because our healing has been attained at the cross, and all that needs to be done to attain our healing, has been done - it is finished, we were healed. We were forgiven, we were accepted, we were healed. The question remains, "Have you appropriated that provision?"

If we were healed, it follows that we should continue to live in divine health. I use the term "divine" advisedly. It is divine health because Christ is divine, He attained it for us, and our health (along with divine forgiveness and every other provision of the cross) is imparted to us by grace through faith. It is also divine health because it is the health Christ walked in. Galatians 2:20 says: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

We are crucified with Christ and our life subsequent to believing, through the born again experience, is Christ's life. In Rom 8:11 Paul says, "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you." You see if we were crucified with Christ, our body is dead (this is reiterated in Rom 8:10 and Rom 6:6), so where does the life come from. It comes from the life of Christ made available to us by grace through faith and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is not only given to "cause" us to walk in Christ's obedience but to "cause" us to live in Christ's health. So by faith we live in Christ's life (Gal 2:20) and it is the Spirit who gives us this life. This truth establishes that the life we live as a believer is a divine life with divine health.

Some scriptural terms are more comprehensive than we initially recognise. For example, salvation is far more comprehensive than most believers usually appreciate. We are saved, we are being saved, and we will be saved. Salvation, and its derivative 'saved', by definition includes within the meaning of the original Greek word: deliver, protect, health, preserve, save, make whole. The word is comprehensive in its meaning and is comprehensive in its application. Other words too are comprehensive in their application. For example God's kingdom has a number of applications and expressions. Our inheritance in Christ is similarly comprehensive. We have inherited, we are inheriting, and we will inherit.

To grasp the understanding that divine health is our right - in fact I'd go as far to say it is our duty to be well (and this will become evident), we need to recognise the difference between a gift and a right.

We are of course saved by grace through faith - it is the gift of God (Eph 2:8). Having received this gift, we are born again as children of God. John's gospel (Jn 1:12) uses the term 'right, or power, authority, liberty, privilege' to become the children of God. The gift of salvation, has inherent within it, a number of embodied privileges or rights. These are the provision of salvation and include sonship, forgiveness, peace, freedom from sin, and among many others, health and healing. Once we have received by grace, the gift of salvation, all the provision that salvation embodies is ours - we do not need to look for each aspect of the provision of salvation to be "given" to us separately, as an additional "gift". We got it all in the "one gift".

Romans 6 teaches us that, as believers, we are free from sin and therefore sin shall not have dominion over us. We are instructed in Rom 6:12 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts." We are free from sin because we were crucified with Christ and He now lives in us. He was made sin for us, He died to sin once for all, and thereby He overcame sin. This too is our right through the inheritance - to be free from sin. It is also our duty. Can we therefore say the same of sickness and infirmity? I believe so. Therefore, I would suggest that it is perfectly scriptural to say, "Do not let sickness reign in your mortal body that you should suffer under its corruption."

If a believer does not apply the provision of his inheritance through Christ, it doesn't invalidate that provision - it just means for whatever reason (usually ignorance) he has not appropriated that provision. A believer is free from sin yet many continue in sin. A believer has peace through Christ, yet some do not experience that peace. It is clear that what Christ provided for us through His cross, must be appropriated. If we don't appropriate it, we do not experience it. We may have it legally or positionally in Christ, but we need to have it experientially also.

Not only is the lack of realizing the need to appropriate God's provision causing many believers to continue in poor health, but so is our expectation. Most see healing as a "gift" that God may or may not give to us - like a reward, or linked to the redundant "do-receive" principle of old covenant practice. Consequently, while in need of healing, most believers will struggle with "I know God heals, but will He heal me?" or "I don't deserve to be healed", or "If only I could find a person with a powerful gift of healing, then I would be healed", or "If only I had the faith to be healed."

We must see healing firstly as "a right of our inheritance", our entitlement, not some additional gift. If we had the faith to be saved (for you are saved by grace through faith), then we have exercised all the faith we need to be healed. We have already received the gift of salvation, and with it, God includes healing - it is part of the package deal, not an add-on. Until we grasp this truth then seek to apply it, we will not be able to embrace it in all its fullness. It is in exactly the same category as forgiveness. Most believers have little trouble accepting and receiving God's forgiveness by grace through faith. We have all well understood that salvation incorporates Christ suffering for our sins that we may be forgiven. We just also need to see the truth that Christ suffered for our sicknesses that we may be healed. Healing comes as a provision (or entitlement) just as forgiveness and many other wonderful benefits.

One can liken it in some respects to a government benefit. Given certain circumstances a person is entitled to a government benefit. Certain rules specify what is available as of right, or entitlement, while other aspects of the benefit may be add-ons with conditions. Health is not an add-on with conditions - it is part of the full entitlement. We, as with most of Christ's provision, must simply appropriate it by that same faith with which we were saved in the first instance. This is so much more easily accomplished when we see it as our entitlement rather than some add-on we only receive after we have prayed for the Lord to release it for us.

If we have ever exercised faith to be saved, then we have exercised sufficient faith to receive all of His full provision of salvation. Salvation is not something that is slowly released to us on some incremental scale of faith - when we enter into salvation we have entered into its full provision. We do not start by receiving forgiveness then have to find greater faith to obtain peace, then still greater faith to be delivered, and even more faith to overcome sin, and eventually great faith to be healed. The concept of such seems as ridiculous as it would be if it were so - but it is not so. The same faith that brought us into Christ Jesus and His forgiveness is sufficient for the full provision His salvation entails - we only have to believe it.

It must be said however, that faith grows and we are exhorted to "...work out (to accomplish, to finish, to perform) your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Phil 2:12b-13). Faith grows as we experience God's provision, thus encouraging us to believe for and experience more of God's provision. The exhortation to "work out" our own salvation speaks of the necessity to "accomplish" the full provision of that salvation, the end result of which is eternal life (1Pet 1:9). The application of this in the believer's life is that over a period of time, the provision of God is steadfastly added to our experience through faith. In this context, health and wholeness may not be our experience at point of salvation, but certainly should be within a short period following. The problem today is that we lack the knowledge of just how this benefit is our provision and so faith cannot be applied.

There is however a balance to the "entitlement" concept of divine health. We must also fully appreciate the tremendous value of this provision and at what great cost Christ attained it for us. In an era where our "rights" are demanded at every turn, one must be careful not to transfer this kind of thinking to God's provision. The "entitlement" of our divine health is important to appreciate in terms of having a foundation of truth to pull down spiritual strongholds of resistance. It is certainly not something we declare to God with a "where's my entitlement" attitude.

An inheritance is something a father desires to give to the son he loves - but he only releases it when that son is ready to receive it. Christ's full provision is our inheritance, since Christ has died for us. God's desire is to give us that inheritance but are we ready to receive it? I suggest that readiness is firstly in an acknowledgement of its scope and of His desire for us to receive it.

Secondly we must fulfill the prerequisites to enter in - these being repentance, faith, acceptance, and thanksgiving. These are the same prerequisites we fulfill to be saved in the first instance. Thirdly, we must believe in the fullness of that provision and by faith appropriate that provision. Finally, we must fully appreciate the immense value of that provision and reciprocate with deep gratitude and worship to the One who gave so much for us to receive so much.

To entrench in our thinking, spirit, and faith, the truth of divine health as our portion, it is helpful to consider other passages that endorse health as not only a divine provision and right but perhaps even as a duty.

Given that "He took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses, and by His stripes we are healed", we can also refer to:

Gal 2:20 We are crucified with Christ, and He now lives in us. Surely Christ's life is free of sickness and disease?

Rom 8:10-11 Our body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Now the Spirit that raised Christ from the dead and that lives in us will give life to our mortal body. Surely that life is a life free of sickness and disease?

2Cor 4:10-11 Christ's death works in us that His life may be manifested in our body - our mortal flesh. Again that life must surely be free of sickness and disease?

1Cor 6:19-20 Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we are not our own - we were bought at a price and therefore must glorify God in our body. Surely there is no basis for the temple of the Holy Spirit (our body) to be polluted or defiled with sickness or disease - there is no glory to God in that! The temple of God is holy, a pure sanctuary, and ought not to be defiled. Surely since God now owns us and has made us His temple, He has every right to make it undefiled. But, like all things under new covenant, we have a responsibility, even a duty, to co-operate with God in establishing this. (Also 1Cor 3:16-17; 2Cor 6:16)

2Cor 5:15,17 He died for all and we should no longer live for ourselves but for Christ. We are a new creation (creature), the old has passed away, all things have become new. If we live for Christ, how can we be sick or diseased? Sickness and disease is part of the old Adamic person - this has passed away, is crucified. The new creature we have become is of the second man Christ? How then can sickness and disease come from that which is new, which is of Christ, and which we have received?

1Cor 12:27 We are collectively the body of Christ and members individually. Given that all believers are collectively the physical body of Christ here on earth to do His will and work, how can that body possibly be sick or diseased? How can even one cell (or member) of Christ's literal body, possibly remain sick or diseased? (Also Eph 5:23b,30; Phil 1:20b)

1Pet 2:24b By His stripes we were healed. Christ suffered a severe and excruciatingly painful lashing for our healing and health. When we treat that provision with indifference or doubt, making little to no effort to embrace such provision, I cannot but help think this must grieve our Saviour. Christ is the One glorified when we are healed and walk in divine health. Too often we are focused on our own circumstances and fail to appreciate that Christ Himself wants us healed at least as much as we do - He suffered greatly for it.

Mark 16:17-18 Every believer can take up serpents, and if they drink anything deadly it will by no means hurt them. For this to be effective, a new believer's immune system must be divinely empowered. We know when Paul was bitten by a viper on the island of Malta (read Acts 28:1-10) he suffered no harm and it led to a great opportunity to witness. To drink poison and suffer no harm requires the same kind of resistance as enduring a snakebite. Would it not be reasonable to conclude that a believer, having been born again as a new creation, and receiving the very life of Christ, would be entitled to the immune system of Christ? Would not the life that the Holy Spirit gives be a divine life impervious to sickness and disease, just as it is impervious to sin? This passage of scripture certainly speaks of a miraculous protection against poison. Would it not be reasonable to conclude that this same resistance would apply in all believers against sickness and disease? A divinely empowered immune system is impervious to all such things, and that is our provision to appropriate through faith - because we have already received it by grace, embodied in the gift of salvation.

Furthermore on this point, scripture tells us that "the life of the flesh is in the blood". If the life of Jesus is manifested in our mortal flesh, where might that life dwell? Surely the Spirit of God dwells with our spirit in our body - hence our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. But the literal life of Christ dwells in our flesh and there is a sound basis for concluding that His life dwells in our blood. This would aptly explain the physiology of blood capable of resisting snake venom and poison - divinely empowered blood. Since blood enters every cell of our body, it would also provide a physiological basis for divine health in every organ or part of our body. Do we have the literal "blood of Christ" coursing through our veins? - I don't know. But what I would believe is that the power of Christ's life so effectively dwells in us that our blood is capable of resisting every sickness, disease, poison, snake venom, or whatever comes against us.

Without making a big deal about it, Jesus gave little credibility to the washing of hands and Paul says regarding foods (1Tim 4:4-5) that every creature of God is good and not to be refused if received with thanksgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. God also told Noah that every moving thing that lives shall be food for you, only do not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. I have no intention to enter into an argument for food, but suffice to say that we probably fuss more about foods than we ought.

Perhaps the greatest impediment to receiving and embracing this truth of divine health is the fact that it is not a common experience among believers today. This fact, should not give cause to presume the doctrine is faulty. Just because something is not our experience, does not mean it is not true. As I have said before, "If the reality of truth is not our experience, don't question the truth, find what is required to change our believing, to make the reality of truth our experience." The essential point is we must base our belief on the truth of God's word and not modify our belief on the basis of our experience.

Firstly, a believer in Christ, born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, should not sin. In 1John 3:9 we are taught: "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God." Romans 6 teaches that sin shall not have dominion over us. Although these passages are clear, the general understanding in the wider church is poor. Many believers struggle constantly with sin. Why? It is not because Christ's provision is inadequate, and it is not necessarily because the believer loves their sin or wants to be disobedient. Nor is it an issue of little faith. In most instances believers continue in sin because of ignorance - they fail to understand and appropriate the truth and the provision in Christ to be free of sin. They continue in sin because of ignorance, inadequate teaching, and insufficient example. That objective is what this book is all about - to understand and accept the provision of Christ and to appropriate it.

If then we see sin prevalent in the church, is it any wonder we see sickness and disease also? That is NOT to say that sickness and disease is necessarily a direct result of sin. This was the case under the old covenant as shown above. However, under the new covenant, freedom from sin must be individually appropriated according to the truth of Christ's victory. Similarly, healing and freedom from sickness and disease are likewise individually appropriated. It would seem unlikely that a believer, continuing in sin because they have not appropriated their liberty from sin, would attain to divine health because they had appropriated health - it is however theoretically possible. What tends to happen though, is believers who have appropriated liberty from sin and do live predominantly in righteousness as led by the Spirit, still suffer sickness, infirmity, and disease. This is almost certainly because they have not fully recognised nor understood their provision of healing and divine health as a right of inheritance in Christ, and consequently have not appropriated it. I would suggest therefore, that continuing sickness, infirmity, and disease is far more likely to be a matter of understanding truth than it is a matter of little faith.

It is also highly likely that an ongoing struggle with health is to be linked to the fact that most believers are still living under old covenant practices. If we have not appropriated the "life of Jesus" (the new man) effectively, it is quite likely that we are struggling to appropriate the divine health of Christ as well.

For comparison we can look at the signs that follow those who believe according to Mark 16:15-18. I have referred to two of these above (taking up serpents and drinking poison), although these are rarities in our western application of the faith. Two others, casting out demons and speaking with new tongues provide a telling insight. Both these are signs that should follow every believer - not just the ministries of Ephesians 4. A believer may be truly born again and filled with the Holy Spirit, but not have come into the experience of speaking in tongues. For me, speaking in tongues was a drawn out and laboured procedure, until I eventually came to an understanding of it, and was able to appropriate the experience by faith - this took some months. It was not primarily a lack of faith, but a lack of clear understanding - but once we have understanding, faith must follow.

In regard to this, Jesus provides us with a fitting example. Jesus had given His disciples authority and power to cast out demons. When we read in Mat 17:14-21 how Jesus' disciples could not cast out a particular demon from an epileptic boy, Jesus rebuked them for their unbelief. He had given them the authority to do so - they had the understanding and the experience, but when faced with some resistance, their faith failed. Evidently, we must appropriate by faith what we have been given, or it will not be our experience. A charge of "a lack of faith" can only be brought when the believer actually has the understanding, but does not respond with believing to appropriate it.

Another significant factor may well be the resistance of Satan. Since the church has for generations now, failed to appropriate divine health, this is ground the enemy still holds - a stronghold as the scriptures teach. Sure healing has been restored to the church over the last century, but this has not been embraced as divine health - there is indeed a subtle but hugely distinct difference. Healing, as wonderful as it is, has certainly not been accepted as a right or entitlement of salvation for every believer - it is commonly perceived as an extra bestowed upon us by God, often for unknown reasons, but it is not bestowed upon all. So if Satan has held God's people in sickness for so long, I doubt he is going to vacate without some resistance.

In my own experience it took some time to achieve victory over prevailing sin. I needed to understand, believe, and proclaim the truth, as conveyed in Romans 6, on a regular and daily basis. Although my efforts predominantly employed an old covenant type of methodology (determination and discipline), I did indeed gain significant victory over sin. Now, with a clearer understanding of new covenant and the need to "put on the new man" (to live in the power of the resurrected life of Christ), I am better equipped and enabled to deal more effectively with self - a more stubborn brute than sin. As I more effectively appropriate new covenant life, incorporating the necessary proclamation for health, I find an increasing level of victory over those things that were previously unattainable. Recognising Christ's provision for perfection and knowing that it is He who will accomplish this in me, gives me a confidence for complete victory over sin, self, sickness, infirmity, the world, and over every obstacle including the enemy of my soul. Divine health is my portion and my inheritance. I will not be satisfied until this provision of Christ Jesus has been fully appropriated in my body - and I believe for that. So should you.

Another factor to consider is the weakness of church leadership. Scripture makes it clear that it is the responsibility of shepherds to heal the flock. In Ezekiel 34 God severely rebukes the shepherds (pastors) of Israel for failing to fulfill their designated role of healing the sick. In Jeremiah 23, God promises to set up good shepherds over His people. Jesus gives pastors (shepherds) to His church (Eph 4). He told Peter in John 21 to feed and tend His sheep and lambs - clearly a shepherding or pastoral role. Elders are also shepherds given a responsibility to the church of God (Acts 20:28-31). When we become sick, it is often difficult to find the faith to be well. In James 5:14-16 we are told if a believer becomes sick he should call for the elders of the church (pastors/shepherds), and they will pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith (primarily the faith of the elders) will save the sick, and the Lord will raise Him up. This is because shepherds have a mandate to heal - it is their responsibility to effect healing and I believe they will be held accountable to do so. They are able to effect healing for believers because it is a provision of the cross - just like they have the authority or mandate to forgive sins.

This passage goes on to imply that sin MAY have been committed, and so he will be forgiven also. The same link is made in verse 16 when we are told to confess our trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that we may be healed. The basis for this healing is, of course, the healing and health we have as of right through salvation - I do not believe it comes as a result of the specific gift of healing (1Cor 12) being administered. It may be effective because in Mark 16:18 we are taught that every believer can lay their hands on the sick and they will recover, but it must be effective because it is a provision of the cross.

I suspect appropriation of divine health will likely follow the same process as the appropriation of any other aspect of God's provision through the cross of Christ. First one must understand the basis of an applied truth. Secondly one must believe that truth. Thirdly one must confess or proclaim that truth to bring the reality of that truth into our own experience.

I suggest that a critical exercise is to regularly (even daily) proclaim the truth. Once you have understood every facet of the scriptural basis for divine health, declare these truths often, and embrace them by faith. For example, stand in front of a mirror each day and confess your belief in what the word of God declares - employ all aspects of the truth as outlined in this appendix. Tell sickness, disease, and infirmity exactly how Christ has overcome them and command them to leave your body Speak to them declaring how they are unauthorized intruders, trespassers with no right to be in your body and command them, in the name of Jesus, to go. Curse every affliction in the name of Jesus, invoking the life of Christ, the authority of His shed blood, and the power of the Holy Spirit against them. Profess their destruction through Christ's suffering and stripes. Give praise and thanksgiving to the Father and Jesus for the incredibly wonderful provision of healing and health and your commitment to believe it and walk in it, giving no place to any disease, sickness, or infirmity. Jeremiah 17:14 "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed: Save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise." Having made these confessions, as often as possible, dwell not on the affliction you are under, but regularly meditate on God's goodness and Christ's victory, being sincerely thankful and grateful for so great a salvation and provision.

Once we have embraced and appropriated the fullness of the provision of the new covenant, as outlined throughout this book, I am confident we will find the appropriation of divine health will be a much simpler procedure than it is today - and far more effective. We cannot make ourselves well and we must not take blame for any such infirmity, sickness, or disease. If we are saved, we are entitled to divine health. Given that repentance and keeping a short account with God is every believer's normal spiritual exercise, we fulfill our responsibility for a healthy body in the kind of confession I outlined above. If there remains some delay in the experience of this healing and health, let us not blame ourselves as unworthy or deserving of such affliction. Let us simply hold fast to our confession of truth, and wait in faith for the reality of His truth to become our experience. It is not our responsibility to provide the power that heals, but simply to believe that in Christ, it is our portion.

Finally, we cannot escape the mandate to be a disciple of Jesus. It is difficult to argue for the full provision of the cross, the fullness of the provision of salvation, if one is not a disciple of Jesus. The 'Great Commission' included the responsibility of 'making disciples of Jesus'. I suspect we can be born again but still baulk at discipleship - especially the ongoing cost of discipleship. This is because unless we are born again, we cannot become a true disciple. The born again experience is a prerequisite of discipleship. As children of God, born again believers by grace through faith in what Jesus has done for us, we are accorded all we need to follow Christ as His disciples. The cost of discipleship begins when we surrender all to the Saviour at conversion, but is ongoing as we experience the outworking of forsaking all, denying self, taking up our cross, and following Him. Receiving the born again experience and becoming a child of God is a moment in time event that ought typically to be experienced at the outset of our faith. Discipleship is an unfolding experience on the journey of life with Christ. Just as repentance is an ongoing experience, so are the demands of discipleship. If we are struggling to appropriate anything of the provision of Christ's salvation, perhaps it is because we are flagging or baulking at fulfilling those requirements to be His disciple - and maybe that is because we just haven't understood these things before.

If we have fulfilled our requisites for discipleship, if we have believed the truth allowing no doubt, and if we have confessed and proclaimed the truth concerning Christ's victory over disease, sickness and infirmity, and His provision for divine health, then we have done all we need to do. What simply remains is to wait for grace and power. Healing and divine health comes to us only by grace. It is also effected within us, only by the Holy Spirit's power. We can't make ourselves well. If divine health and healing is not our experience, then we will wait for it. If we have fulfilled our responsibilities we have done all - now stand. While these are not add-ons or special endowments, God is not a vending machine. It is never simply a matter of right belief and right confession in and wham, we immediately have what we believe and confess. God is certainly willing, but we must acknowledge His person in this matter, declare our thankfulness and gratitude, then wait in faith for His power to accomplish what He has provided - it is our entitlement so it will come. All we need to do is wait patiently whenever there is delay. Stand firm!

In all things there remains the inexplicable. Why are children born with congenital conditions such as Down's syndrome and the like? Why are some believers stricken with hereditary conditions or disabling accidents? I have no answers to these. What I want to be wary of though, is to excuse our unbelief in that which should be overcome simply because there are exceptions for which we have no answer. God is able to accomplish anything - NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD. However, some challenges of faith are unique. We must be very careful not to let exceptional situations for which we have no answers, be an excuse for failing to rise up and appropriate by faith the very clear provisions of Christ, particularly concerning healing, health, and wholeness.

COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.

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