In the book of Hebrews 8: 7- 13 we read ' For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbour, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant, ” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away '.
Trusting in and depending upon the Lord for His anointing we are going to look into attaining a new understanding. Proverbs 4:7 says ' Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding '. What is understanding ? It is the capacity or organ of sight of the internal, inner man. Every person has an internal and an external man, these two are to be and act as one, but sin has so disordered man that today you can hardly find singular people even among the church, except we are regenerated this duplicity will not cease. The case today is that man manipulates his understanding from his will internally to give an expression of what pleases him and is beneficial to his natural life. To attain to a new understanding this must change.
Continuing with what is the understanding we must also look into memory, a component. Memory is created and formed by storing knowledge of images, scents, sounds, feelings, and tastes from the time a newborn is in the mothers' womb and increases when he comes into the world. This process cannot be measured nor explained by any natural man or instrument, we can only grasp the general meaning. This memory which is all natural ( because we are born into the natural world ), then forms an understanding for the will of man, that the two may be a person. The desires of a person belongs to their will, the emotions and affections belong to the mind or understanding. Emotions are formed by the conjunction of the will and the understanding, or is the effect of that conjunction/agreement, thus people agree on some things, and feel differently about the same issues in life.
To point out the difference between the will and the understanding , one may know what is right because of being taught the truth, this is in memory and forms the understanding, yet by a deliberate act this same one does/acts on the contrary. In the scriptures King Saul knew that David was not his enemy yet he pursued David to kill him, Saul desired the honour he had lost through disobedience to the Word of God by the Prophet Samuel , he saw that David was now honoured. A clear example of how we can know and understand truth and yet do evil. There are many examples in the scriptures that teach us the difference between the understanding/mind and the will. So then, though the understanding may be in truth, the will can be in impurity and evil intent. To him that knows what to do and does not do it, it is sin. The man who buried the talent that was given to him by the master, wilfully hid what he understood to be true and the right thing to do.
The reason why we must have a new understanding is that it is the only way for us to be regenerated and conform to the image of Jesus Christ. Romans 8: 29 -30 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
The process of being regenerated begins with being born again, which is being born from above, from God. Our natural parents give birth to our natural bodies and aids our natural minds, added to this is what one inherits through hereditary means. God the Father of spirits gives birth to our spirits, or quickens/makes alive from the dead our spirits. Proverbs Proverbs 20:27 The spirit of a man is the lamp of the LORD, Searching all the inner depths of his heart.
Luke 11:33 “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, that those who come in may see the light.
All other efforts to be spiritual though sincere are in vain, no one can be saved except by Jesus Christ, He alone lights the candle or lamp which is the spirit of man, religious teachings only go into the same natural understanding and from thence is manipulated by the unconverted to show forth his religion, but there is no reality of heavenly life until a new understanding and will is formed by Jesus Christ.
Note that in the scripture we began with, God said that if there was no fault with the first covenant there would not be a need for a second. The fault was that the Law exposed the weakness and sinful nature of man, and his helplessness to keep it, for it could only indoctrinate and not regenerate man, forcing man to do what his will and love was opposed to. Romans 8: 3-4 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 8: 7-8 ..the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
So the coming of Jesus Christ to establish a new covenant was necessary, now the old religious efforts have vanished. Why can't the natural man please God ? It's because his heart always wants to go back to Egypt which represents the past old life of bondage to and delight in the earthly, worldly pleasures of sin. In the Old Testament we see Israel always breaking away from the Lord and going the way of other nations. Why ? because the law was not written on their hearts, the Holy Spirit was not yet given, only promised. They were to be obedient to the rules and ordinances naturally, but they soon grew weary in doing this, only a remnant like the prophets and a few humble folks continued in the law faithfully. Now that the Holy Spirit is come and we can serve God willingly and naturally out of love from our hearts, because He is joined to our spirits . Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
The Law is now written on our hearts/will, but note that first it is put in our minds. There is a difference in putting in the mind and writing on the heart that we cannot bypass. Transformation takes place only as the mind/understanding is renewed. When God says He will put the Law in our minds, this is done spiritually through the agency of the angels and spirits sent forth from the Lord in the form of thoughts to our minds. If those thoughts are rejected by our will the new understanding cannot be formed, neither a new will. A falsehood or error will remain in the place of that new thought sent from the Lord to regenerate us. The temple must be cleansed.
Writing in the spirit means to keep in the memory, that is why the new heart/will is formed by keeping in memory the new thoughts put by the Lord into the new mind. This process creates conflicts between the old man and the new man for a while, until we gain the victory and be established in the present truth. This is what the new creation is all about.
Note also in our scripture that because Israel ( this is the spiritual man ) continued not in the covenant, God disregarded them. he did not disown them or disinherit them. He could not regard their religious behaviour, or give attention to it. When we behave like the Israelites in our walk with God the same will happen to us. Many of the churches today are experiencing this disregard, that is why though they are Gods' people they have no revelation, no real fellowship and community life. They interpret the Word of God naturally to their own stagnation. The reason is they love this world and their own lives more than God, and they keep in memory the same old mentality. They make up the 30 and 60 folds dimensions of the Kingdom of God. They also become the churches that have lost their hearing, let him that has an ear to hear, hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Gods' love for us will never cease but he cannot regard our rebellion and disrespect for him.
1 Corinthians 2 :13-16 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
We cannot grasp spiritual teachings with the natural mind. All heresies, errors, and falsehoods are due to men of corrupt and natural minds trying to interpret the scriptures, using the historical natural word which only keeps the mind on the sense of external and literal things. The natural literal Word conceals the spiritual sense of the Word like the clouds hide the sun. So only by revelation can we come to a true understanding of the Word of God, this is why we were given the Holy Spirit, to know the things that are freely given to us. 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
Jesus said when the Spirit comes He will guide us into all truth, note He will guide, therefore we must follow not lead. John 16: 12 - 15 I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
When the new understanding is formed, a foundation is laid for more understanding, the capacity to accommodate God is increased, this joyous process is eternal and everlasting and is eternal life. The opposite is true, when men harden themselves and reject the new understanding, a foundation is laid for error and falsehood, the capacity to accommodate evil spirits is enlarged, this sad and vexing process is hell and continues for eternity for those who confirm themselves in evil by rejecting Jesus Christ. So it is irresponsible and utterly abominable to teach of a magical transformation into heaven for anyone, God will judge those who teach that people can live a life of total demonic activity and evil practices and suddenly be forgiven and enter eternal life. This is a form of insanity making God appear to break and violate His own Divine order for the salvation of those who do not want to be saved. It is impossible for God to lie, impossible. We are not to bring Him down to our level of humanism, but to reach up to Him through the Spirit out of our fleshly humanity.
Understanding The Will Of God
Romans 12 :1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Here we see the need for the new mind/understanding , it's the only method for transformation, which in turn reveals the will of God in each dimension of the kingdom of God. The good will of God is on the 30 fold level and is also called the sovereign will of God, Israel. Here at this level the new born again believer learns the principles of the Lords' Kingdom, this lays a foundation for increase into the higher realms of the Kingdom, also a protection is given should the believer reject Jesus on certain points, this protection is to stop the believer from going up and intrude into higher places without a new mind, resulting in total destruction. We saw what happened to the two sons of Aaron who went into the Holy of Holies against Gods’ command. See Leviticus 10:1-3 .
The 30 fold believer loves the Lord but also loves himself and the world . Remember when Adam sinned, God sent him out of the garden and placed the Cherubim to protect the way to the tree of life. Genesis 3: 22-24 Then the LORD God said, Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever — therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.
The acceptable will of God is for those who are of the 60 fold realm of Gods' kingdom, Jerusalem, and have advanced from a babes' stage into a disciplined level of spirituality. This is also called the permissive will of God, here God will permit certain things that are not destructive to our spiritual growth, working with us to eradicate the fleshly things that cannot enter heaven. In this realm the disciple loves the Lord more than the 30 fold believer but still loves the world and himself along with loving the Lord.
The perfect will of God is also called the Divine will of God and is for the 100 fold sons of God., Mount Zion. This dimension of Gods' Kingdom is filled with those who love the Lord and only the Lord, they say thy will be done and only thy will be done.
To discern any aspect of Gods' will one must be transformed, and this is done by the renewing of the mind. This renewal takes place as we read the Word and receive the teachings that obliterates the old mind of Adam and allow the mind of Christ to unfold. 1 Corinthians 15 : 45-49 And so it is written, The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.
Concerning the three dimensions of Heaven see the parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:18-23 ; Mark 4:13-20 ; Luke 8:11-15 . Also study the three courts of the Tabernacle of Moses in the Old Testament ; The outer court, the Holy place, and the Holy Of Holies.
The Eyes Of Your Understanding Being Enlightened
Ephesians 1:15 - 23 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
The eyes of the understanding are the new perceptions or way of seeing things from Gods' point of view, because the mind has been renewed it is now enlightened. Faith is come and it attracts the light of Heaven. The natural mind/understanding is darkness but as the believer receives new insight from the Lord through His Word, the mind is filled with light and sees in agreement with Jesus. Note that knowing the true hope of Gods' calling is dependent upon this enlightened understanding. Ephesians 4:17-19 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Note their understanding was darkened because of the blindness of their heart, no light in the mind and no good in the will. Let's look at 2 Corinthians 4: 3 - 6 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
The god of this world blinds the mind of those who reject Christ as saviour by making the earthly, worldly life look real and promising. Little do they know that they are dead in trespasses and sin. Ephesians 2: 1- 10 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Other helpful scriptures to look up. Luke 24:45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.
Colossians 1:9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
1 John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
God bless you.
In Christ
Everflowinglife
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