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PRACTICAL APPLICATION
11.PREPARING THE GROUND
12.KNOWING THE OBJECTIVE
13.GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
14.ONLY BY GRACE
15.AN ALLEGORY
16.A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
17.TAKING THE RIGHT PATH
18.COUNTING THE COST
19.THE BARE ESSENTIALS
20.PATHWAY TO PERFECTION
12.KNOWING THE OBJECTIVE
Understanding scriptural truth is essential, but it is more important to experience that truth worked out successfully in practical every day application. Without both, we have nothing of substance.
When we really don't understand the truth of scripture, we seldom ever experience the benefits of that truth. Understanding or enlightenment of God's word comes only by the Holy Spirit. As truth is made clear to us, a solid foundation for faith is established. On the basis of this faith, we can trust God for the grace to effect the practical outworking of that truth in our lives.
The challenge is two-fold. Firstly, what I say must be sufficient and clear enough for a new believer to walk in the victory of Christ's work - to understand and appropriate the necessary truths to live a new covenant life.
Secondly, those of us who have been believers for many years, must be able to clearly differentiate between what we have been doing, and what we should have been doing, and then find sufficient guidance to adjust, and enjoy the fullness of new covenant life.
At the core of new covenant practice is "a new life". It is the "new creature" that we are in Christ; that is the key. It is also recognizing just what this new life is - it is the same life Jesus had when He walked on earth.
Recognising that there are two life forces (Adam's which we receive at natural birth and Jesus' which we receive at regeneration), is absolutely critical. It is 'knowing' that we have within us, an alternative life force to engage, that makes all the difference.
So in summary, when we live in the power of the natural life from Adam, we are inescapably bound under the power of sin. Yes, we can gain significant rule over sin. God told Cain to do so, and the great Old Testament examples of godly characters is evidence that it can be done. But it is a battle. It is a struggle and requires great discipline and purpose of mind. Even so, as Paul demonstrates in Romans chapter 7, we can never be completely victorious. Living godly in the power of the natural life is difficult and employs old covenant practices. It is all about what "we" can do.
When we live in the power of the spiritual life from Christ, we are free from the power of sin. It should not be a struggle that requires great discipline and purpose of mind. It should be a doddle (an easy matter). Jesus said to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden light, and we will have rest to our souls. I don't see struggle in that statement, and so that should be our experience. Living godly in the victorious power of the spiritual life is restful and employs new covenant practices. It is all about what "Christ" can do...
13.GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
The purpose of the new covenant is to establish a people of God - His own special treasure. These people are to live as Christ lived.
The only way any person can become part of this wonderful company of people belonging to God, is to believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ.
Having believed and received Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord, it becomes most necessary to acquire a sound understanding of exactly what has transpired. It is by this understanding that we can fulfill the requirements of God - faith, love, and obedience.
So to get there, we must get off on the right foot. Any and all misapprehensions will invariably cause us to fall short of what God has purposed and provided for. That is not to say that nothing will work. If we get into a car with no idea what the purpose of a car is, how all the functions of a car work, or how to drive properly, it is still possible to make some progress. God does not desert us simply because we are ignorant or have some misunderstandings.
It is simply a matter of admitting, "I don't think things are working out as they should." If something appears to be not quite right, it probably isn't. Our responsibility is to find out what it is, and adjust. God remains constantly with us, throughout all situations, waiting patiently for us and working in us, until we get it sorted.
Of paramount importance however, is that we get the fundamentals right. Unfortunately, in Christendom today, even the basics are not done well enough to begin to appropriate new covenant living as we should. This further compounds the problem of understanding what exactly is going on, and how it's all supposed work.
Sadly, many have been confused somewhat by "popular Christianity". Not everything proclaimed in the name of Jesus is actually of Jesus...
17.TAKING THE RIGHT PATH
One of the primary reasons many believers have not followed the path of new covenant practice is because, from the time they are born again, they are enveloped in a culture of old covenant.
Most local church structures are embedded in a culture of old covenant practice - even our Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. I venture to suggest very, very few, if any, are not. I say this not as a criticism but as a mere observation of fact. I know this to be true because it has been my experience for some twenty-five years in both "spirit filled" and traditional churches.
It is my strong hope that leaders of these churches will recognize this fact and take serious steps to remedy it. Whether they do or not, is not for me to be concerned with. My objective is to get this message of new covenant practice out there, and leave it to the Holy Spirit to effect any necessary changes in church structures, as required. I say again, Jesus is building His church. I am confident He will accomplish this with or without the co-operation of our current local churches.
To highlight where I see our present short-comings, let me relate what I regard could be a typical scenario, experienced by a new believer today. They have believed, been water baptized, and filled with the Holy Spirit - life is no longer the same. To continue in their newfound experience of God, they invariably become involved with others of like mind - probably with those who helped bring them into this new experience. That will most likely be a local church or home church. Now the problem begins.
New believers need to be taught - that was Jesus command (Mat 28:20a), "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you:...". But do we open the scriptures at Matthew chapter 5 and take them through Jesus commands, concluding with the exhortation to be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect? Of course not! Why? Because those of us who have been in the faith thirty years or more, can't obey Christ in this - it's just not possible.
What we do, is to proceed immediately to dumb it all down. We talk of discipline in prayer and bible reading. We emphasize the importance of going to church regularly. We teach them, early on, the church practices, procedures, and rituals. We slowly but surely make them dependent upon the system. We teach them by default, "holy man, holy place, holy day." We indoctrinate them steadfastly into the established format of our old covenant practices. And we do it all so ignorantly. We do so sincerely believing this is what is best, because it worked for us. I know this to be true, for I was part of it for many years, endorsing it all the way.
Is the answer to change the local church format? Again, I cannot say. I have already said, you can change the local church format all you like, disestablish everything, and do it all modern and trendy - have "café church" or whatever. But unless we dispense totally with every vestige of old covenant practice, it does not matter how we do church, we'll get the same results. Hence I re-iterate, it is not a change in local church structure per se that is required (although it may well be), it is a structural change to how we implement what we believe - it is reformation of our faith that is required, not necessarily a reorganization of our fellowship.
So then, what should happen to our new believer?...
20.PATHWAY TO PERFECTION
I have persisted with this theme of perfection because it really is so provocative. Believers all over the world are aghast at the notion we must be perfect. The only reason for this is that carnal man, shackled by the sinful Adamic nature, can never be perfect, and we know it.
I have provocatively persisted with the call to perfection because Jesus raised it in Matthew chapter 5. And the reason He raised it, along with all the other outrageous demands He makes in that chapter, is because He wants you to cry out, "But Jesus this is impossible!" "Ah, at last," He says, "You've got the point. No longer will you think you can please God in your own strength, because now you know, and have admitted, you just cannot do it. But take heart, what is impossible with men, is possible with God."
So let's get to the practical. This is essentially a further breakdown of bare essential number three. Before we get into it, perhaps it might be useful to review what we know.
As we give ourselves willingly to all these things, surrendering all and letting go, God's grace will establish us in the perfect life of Christ.
1.Jesus requires us to be perfect, just as our Father in heaven is perfect.
2.We must admit and confess that this demand of His is impossible for us to achieve.
3.We must acknowledge that God will not expect anything of us that is unattainable, and so with God, all things are possible, even our perfection.
4.We know that we were saved by grace through faith, and it had absolutely nothing to do with any works we have done. So then, as we move forward in God, we accept that all we must accomplish in life and character, will also have nothing to do with our ability, but can only be accomplished by grace.
5.We know we must be born again.
6.We must acknowledge that when we were born again, the sinless, perfect life and nature of Jesus was birthed into us. By faith our old Adamic life and nature was crucified with Christ at Calvary. Therefore, within our very being, is the life of Jesus to enable us in the power of God through the Holy Spirit, to keep all His commandments, including being perfect.
7.We accept that we must live and walk in the Spirit, constantly allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us. This is only accomplished through prayer and intimacy.
8.We must acknowledge that the only way we can live in the power of Christ's pure sinless life (His resurrected life), is by meeting all of Jesus requirements to be His disciple: to deny self, take up our cross daily, forsake all things, and follow Him.
9.We must accept life and relationship with God our Father under a new covenant. A covenant that promises He will be our God and we will be His people. A covenant that promises us a new heart, a new spirit, and God's own Spirit the Holy Spirit put within us. We must desire, accept, and allow God to fulfill His commitment to us, that by His Holy Spirit in us, He will cause us to walk in His statutes. This is because (given that we have a new heart), He has written His laws on our heart and He puts them in our mind. And that as a result, we will keep His judgements and do them.With these foundational truths and acknowledgements embedded in our understanding, let us now review the key responses we must give ourselves to, to fulfill God's work in our lives...
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.