Christ and Emptying Self

One thing that those who mean business with God will experience, is the work of the Holy Spirit in helping us to empty ourselves in order that Christ may be enlarged in us.

This will be His continual focus, as the Holy Spirit, as far as He relates to believers, lives to remove and weaken our self life in order that Christ may be formed in us. That is the end result of all that God has for us, and it's an enormous undertaking; one that will continue on into eternity.

What we must understand to cooperate with the Holy Spirit is there is nothing in us that He can work with. Nothing good dwells in the flesh, and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we and God can get on with His purpose for us.

No matter how good we may seem when compared to other human beings, no matter what we may consider as good intentions or clean living, all of it is unclean before the Lord, who is the only true light.

In other words, from our fallen nature we have absolutely nothing to offer God but our hearts. That's it. Even there our hearts can be deceptive, and we can't trust anything about ourselves as it relates to God.

If we will embrace the work of the cross within us, we will find that God will have a place to do the work of conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ. If not, He will continue to work and wait until we're ready to surrender all to Him. Saying we are ready to surrender, or singing we're ready to surrender all, doesn't mean we are in fact surrendering all.

The Holy Spirit is perfect in being able to reveal that by putting us through difficulties. It is in the hard times of life that we find out where we are really at. There is where God can do some work if we're willing to abide in Him while we go through our struggles.

Many Christians unnecessarily harden their hearts or are clueless as to the ways of God as they relate to finding a place to build Christ within the believer. If we are willing to see, we will discover and understand that it is in the struggles of life that the Holy Spirit finds a place in us to do His work.

Embracing that reality won't make it any easier, but it will work out the peaceable fruit of righteousness, where we can graciously be quiet and restful within even if our outer world seems to be falling apart.

All of it is for the glory of God in that we continually grow more and more like Jesus. The key is self-emptying, and the Holy Spirit is able to help you in that if you open your heart to Him.

Christ in the Beginning: Genesis 1:2

Genesis 1:2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.



We've been talking about the immense importance of the first day of creation, where fanciful and imaginary inferences have been made by many who claim strange things like there had to be a pre-Adamic race (Adam wasn't the first man, and Adam and Eve were the first people made by God).

This all comes from the false assumption that God couldn't have created the earth "without form and void," and also because the earth lay in darkness. Since God is light and no darkness dwells within Him, it would be impossible for the darkness of Genesis 2 to be from Him, according to this idea.

All of this nonsense is easy to disprove Biblically, and we'll get into that in a moment.

First, it must be understood that this isn't just some teaching to titillate our curiosity and interest. If we don't correctly understand what happened in the beginning, the rest that follows will be distorted as well. And it has been.

Because the creation of the earth at the beginning was a representation of who Christ is, it is vital that we understand what it was He was trying to teach us by revealing Himself in that manner.

In the previous two articles we got into that, but I'll repeat it again. As far as the phrase "without form and void" as to the condition of the earth, all that had to do with was the fact that this was the first step by God in creation. He wasn't through yet.

Some people make up entire scenarios from this condition of the earth, saying it was impossible for God to create something like this. Not only is it possible - He did it!

The assumption that He wouldn't do it is based upon human reasoning, not fact. To say something had to have happened for it to be "without form and void" means an entire scenario has to be created in regard to this as well to support that fallacy.

Those that assert this say Satan probably rebelled in the heavenly realms and brought the battle down to earth, and thus the devastation.

The problem with that made up story is we have no proof that Satan was even created at this moment. It must be assumed to support the proposed narrative. But even if he was created, there are many more problems that must be dealt with to force this tale to work.

One of those is the fact that there was nothing but the heavens and the earth present at this moment in time. That means if there was actually another race of men that inhabited the earth before this time, that Satan and his minions would have had to have deconstructed the entire universe God created in order to bring it down to only the earth and the heavens being all that was left. That's a stretch to be sure.

When talking about this, the earth is what is usually focused on, making the rest of what had to have happened to have them alone in the physically created world ignored. It strains credibility to believe there have been entire systems of stars, planets and galaxies that had been destroyed completely by Satan. Poor God. He lost everything and had to start all over.

At least that's what those making up these fanciful stories want us to believe.

Why is this so important to understand? It's because there was something of Jesus Christ revealed in the actual events that occurred, which we miss if we believe there was this rebellion and destruction which resulted in the universe and alleged previous creation to be completed disintegrated. There is no proof that Satan even has that type of power to do that.

This doesn't even deal with other facts. Such as the fact that the Holy Scriptures reveal to us that Adam was the first mankind, while Jesus was the last one. Period. You can't escape that fact and truth.

So if there was another race of men before Adam, it would contradict that Biblical record. That alone confirms and proves there was no such thing as a race of men before Adam was created. And if some want to get cute and say there were some type of life forms created which weren't men, but a race that predated men, then there is no real hope for those believing that fantasy. As they'll keep on rewriting the entire story until if fits their wild imaginations in order that they may be respected by those opposing the Biblical account.

When reading the phrase "without form" in Genesis 2, it must be understood that they are only one Hebrew word. Here are the meanings associated with that word in the Scriptures.

(without form) =

formlessness, confusion, unreality, emptiness, formlessness, nothingness, empty space,
that which is empty or unreal (of idols) (fig), wasteland, wilderness (of solitary places),
and place of chaos.


In the King James version "without form" is written using these words in the Old Testament text:

Without form, empty place, wilderness, vain, vanity, confusion, nought, nothing and waste.

The term void simply means "empty."


As for the word "darkness" following those words and meanings, it can mean, among other things - ignorance, death, dark place and secret place.

So when people say things like there is no way there could be darkness because God is light, and so darkness couldn't have been created by Him, they're limiting the meaning of the word, and are unfamiliar with Biblical text which contradict those assumptions.

For example, Isaiah 45:7 says this, "I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things."

In Psalm 18:11 this is declared, "He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies."

Both of these words used for darkness are the same Hebrew word used in Genesis 1:2.

Not only can God create darkness, He did create darkness. The problem people have is they always tend to associate darkness with sin or evil, and miss out on the other meanings the word have, as well as the usage they convey.

There is no doubt that Jesus Christ created the earth in the beginning to reveal something of Himself. The first thing He revealed is alluded to in Job. It says:

Job (NAS) 12:22, “He reveals mysteries from the darkness. And brings the deep darkness into light.

What this tells us is that God does include darkness as part of Himself and creation in order from that darkness to being things to light. Creation was, is and remains a mystery, and as Christ continues to give us understanding of it, the mystery is lessened, as is the darkness surrounding and shrouding it.

Why did Jesus Christ create the darkness? In order to bring the mystery of Himself out into the light. It was for the sake of man these things are written. It is from the darkness that mysteries are revealed. If they weren't, they wouldn't be considered mysteries. This is part

of the secret of the darkness that existed at the beginning of creation. It covered up an extraordinary mystery that had been hidden in God and Christ from before creation.

This is why it says of the Spirit that it hovered or brooded over the waters. He was poised to begin the revelation of the mystery hidden in Christ, even though the existence of the water-covered earth already revealed one of the most important revelations of Jesus Christ there ever has been or will be.

That revelation was that the waters covering the earth pointed to the reality that Jesus Christ completely was dead to Himself as creation began. Waters refer to the cross or baptism, which both signify death. This earth was created dead, or if you will: crucified.

But not only that. The waters covered the entirety of the heavens as well, which is why they had to be separated as creation continued to be developed by the Lord Jesus Christ. So even the heavens speak of the total disregard of the self of Jesus Christ as the work started and continued on. The cross and baptism speak to that completely. In other words, the cross was part of the very nature of Jesus Christ and the Godhead before sin ever entered the world.

It was simply manifested in time when Jesus came into space and time and died for the sins of the world. But that death or inherent characteristic of the cross had always been part of Him, and always will be. This is how the world began, and why it probably cost Him much more

than we know to bring it into being for Himself, and on our behalf (everything was created for Him).

When the Scriptures say He was crucified from the foundation of the world, it's probably related to what we're talking about here. There's more to that, but in order to not get too far off of what we're talking about, we'll leave it there.

Let's look at another confirmation of what darkness in this instance meant.


Deut: 5:22 These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness (6205), with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

5:23 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness (2822) (obscurity, darkness, secret place - from The Hebrew lexicon is Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon), (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;

5:24 And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.


I included the numbering of the words darkness here from Strong's Concordance in order to let you know that they were two different words. The word darkness used in Genesis 1:2 was the one numbered '2822' in Deuteronomy 5:23.

First of all it reveals that there were two ways of viewing darkness. The first (6205) is a reference to it simply being literally a "thick darkness." The second use of the word darkness in the phrase "midst of the darkness," speaks of a mystery, or secret place, an obscure place. This is what the darkness in Genesis 1:2 undoubtedly refers to.

Listen again to how it is said, " ...when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness." If that isn't a way God moves and acts, then we have to pretend it doesn't exist. God speaks out of darkness, or from an obscure, secret place we aren't aware of in order to bring light and understanding to a situation. After all, He is light, and when He speaks and moves, those mysteries, for those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, are made known.

In the case of creation, the mystery was there from the beginning, and from the earth covered and hidden in the waters of baptism, or the place of the cross, the Spirit of God stood ready to respond to the command of "let there be light." This is a reference to speaking forth in order to reveal a mystery hidden within the Godhead when nothing but they existed.

This is all extremely important because it reveals where it is that God works from for our benefit.

Only those that learn to die in Christ truly live. There is no resurrection without death. Resurrection can only come if we die. This is where the creation story begins. It doesn't end there, and it would truly be desolate if all there was was the cross and baptism.

But we must begin there. Only the dead rise, and that death must be embraced by all believers to fully reach all that God has for us in Christ.

If we don't realize and see this is how everything began outside of and from God, we'll remain in confusion as to what it is Christ did and who He is.

Let's look at a portion of Scripture to get more understanding of this.

Jeremiah 4:18-28 (KJV)
 

18 Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee; this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart. 19 My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace , because thou hast heard , O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war. 20 Destruction upon destruction is cried ; for the whole land is spoiled : suddenly are my tents spoiled , and my curtains in a moment. 21 How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet? 22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding : they are wise to do evil , but to do good they have no knowledge . 23 I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled , and all the hills moved lightly . 25 I beheld , and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled . 26 I beheld , and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. 27 For thus hath the LORD said , The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end. 28 For this shall the earth mourn , and the heavens above be black : because I have spoken it, I have purposed it, and will not repent , neither will I turn back from it.


What Jeremiah sees, as culminating in verse 23 where he says, "I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light," is this. He is making the point that because of wickedness, when God gets through with judgement, it'll be as if there had been no creation; it'll be as if there was only the cross without resurrection. It'll be as if there were no hope, as resurrection is our blessed hope. That's what God was revealing through Jeremiah in this instance.

My reason for bringing this up is from what was mentioned above before listing the verses from Jeremiah, and also at the beginning of the article. First, God wasn't through when things were without form and void, he was just beginning. The condition of the earth is one that awaited His life to be revealed. That's a reference to life, and by extension, to resurrection. After all, His life is the light of men.

In Jeremiah here, he says it's because of the fierce anger of God that He was basically going to de-create His creation. He views creation has having never went beyond being without form and void. God views it as if there never was a creation, as if there never was anything besides the death of the cross or rising up after entering the waters of baptism.

Again, it's where everything within God and Jesus Christ begins, but it's far from being the place where He wants to end.

The mystery of the early part of creation is that Jesus Christ was revealing to us that everything begins at the cross, everything must and has been crucified ... even creation from the beginning.

Being without form and void means that this is far from where God wants things to end. But to go on, we must be covered in the waters of baptismal death in the reality of what that represents, in order to be brought forth out of the waters by first seeing that we need light to comprehend this extraordinary mystery of the person of Jesus Christ and the Godhead.

The condition of creation wasn't from some cataclysmic event coming about from the rebellion of Satan, rather a glimpse into the nature of Jesus Christ, showing us where everything must begin and why we must walk in the light and resurrection life in order to escape being and remaining without form and void. Instead, we must conform to the image of Jesus Christ, as the earth and heavens did by type through the creation account.

Even so, there is no escaping the cross and its work in our lives. If there is no death to self and a dying to ourselves daily, there will never be resurrection life working in us either. The more we die to ourselves, the more of Jesus Christ will be revealed and seen within us. That's the mystery unveiled in the very beginning of the Creation account.

To relegate it to some old wives fable about fantasy races and fallen angels destroying some previous universe causes us to miss all that it is Christ has for us in this world, and the world to come.

Crown of the Cross and the Organic Church

Jesus said "many are called but few are chosen," and that has been the case with Christianity since He ascended into heaven; it's also true with what has been identified as the "organic church," as many like how it sounds, but misunderstand the enormous brokenness and humility needed to successfully live in the manner called to by Christ.

Before we get into this, let me say that the term organic church is already suspect in that many people claiming to be part of an organic church really don't understand what it is and what it practically means.

Whether using the term or not, what is means is a people living and interacting together on a daily basis with Christ as the center of their lives, encouraging and admonishing one another, strengthening one another so that we continue on 100 percent committed to the eternal purpose of God, which in the end, means we're all (not some) conformed to the image of Christ.

And as for interacting with one another, this is far beyond friendship and being buddies, but is first and foundationally a spiritual interaction based upon the life of Christ. From there there are secondary activities, but those that would be meaningless without the fact that it comes forth from the person and life of Christ being our center.

For anyone that is hungering and seeking this type of life, we must be willing to bear, what I call, the crown of the cross.

We must live a royal life as the life of Jesus in fact is, but one that is filled with brokenness, humility and and attitude of submission to one another.

I'm convinced that when we see Jesus as He is, the thing that will astound the majority of believers about Him will be the extraordinary humility He has.

Even when talking to His disciples He said when they were together again He would serve them. And of course He said He came to serve.

We're not talking soulish and overactive service here, but service coming forth and originating from Christ Himself within us. That takes an enormous amount of commitment and humility.

By service I'm not talking about the so-called "ministry" and "purpose" we all hear repeated over and over again. I'm talking about being in daily fellowship with one another, watching over and encouraging each other. That's what real ministry within the body of Christ means. That's what a family is.

It's, for the most part, not some individual ministry that stands alone and ministers to a bunch of disconnected people. It comes forth out of living unto Christ and one another on a daily basis. From there our various giftings and service come forth spiritually and in a natural way. (Natural not meaning carnal, but in a way that flows out of us like a river of living water because of our fellowship with one another.)

To live royal lives like this, we must embrace and receive the working of the cross in our lives, or we'll never survive and thrive in this wonderful life provided and offered us by Jesus Christ.

This is why I call the cross a crown, as those willing to embrace or take up the cross on a daily basis, will in fact, not only be crowned some day in heaven, but will receive the wondrous sharing of the life given us by Jesus Christ Himself while we're alive on this earth.

Jesus taught us to pray that we that His kingdom would come and will be done in earth as it is in heaven. All of this isn't just for the afterlife, it's for whosoever will - now.

So if the thought of organic church, or a redeemed people sharing life together on a daily basis sounds attractive or appealing to you, you must get past that to the fact that we are all called to die if it is to ever accomplish the purpose of Christ in the earth.

It's similar to marriage. All of it looks great until you live with one another for a while and discover you must die to yourself if it's ever going to be something beautiful you have together.

With the church as Christ meant it to be, it's the same. The honeymoon period quickly is over for those who have unrealistic and pumped up expectations, as we're all human and flawed, and even in the most committed group of believers we'll have to die to ourselves in order for the life of Christ to be able to be shared effectively with one another; which purpose is that we all come to the full knowledge of Christ, being conformed to His image.

That's the end, and sharing the live together daily with one another is the means. We'll be iron sharpening iron in order to smooth out and get rid of the rough edges.

Only those 100 percent committed to Christ and His people in this endeavor, and those taking up their cross daily will ever be able to make it in this magnificent journey together.

What if Adam and Eve Hadn't Eaten of Wrong Tree? Part 4

Zombie Christians! Zombie Churches!


I want to mention briefly what happens when Christ within us isn't the focus of our lives.

What one of the great tragedies of Christian history has been, is the creating of structures to endure, regardless of whether the life of Christ is active within His people. This is the purpose of these structures: to endure no matter what happens.

An amazing part of this tragedy is the effect it produces. Now you have something claiming to represent Christ which is in fact dead. The horror is that even though it has no life, it walks and talks as if it does. That's what I call zombie churches and Christians.

A number of people even think this is a good development; existing and going on whether the life of Christ is there or not. This is the evil of organization and institutionalism as it relates to the people of God.

To this day the confusion and effect springing out of this zombie existence is a heavy taint on the person of Christ.

This is why whenever we look to see Christ glorified on the earth, it never lasts and eventually people turn it into an organization or stop pursuing Him altogether.

To be "organic" as the people of God, is not a testimony to a certain methodology, but to the fact that there is a current and ongoing, intimate fellowship with Christ within in a corporate manner. Anything else will simply be a horrid zombie; either individually or corporately, that names the name of Christ, but has long been out of intimate fellowship with Him.

By this I'm not saying that any type of denominational or setting in a building is good if the life of Christ is there, what I'm saying is we can throw all that away and still not have anything. We can meet in homes, live in neighborhoods together and enjoy a lot of freedom. But if that isn't coming forth from Christ within, it has no meaning other than changing a physical location or hanging out together.

Being truly organic means nothing less than sharing the fellowship of the Godhead together: both individually and corporately. Anything less is simply doing things as the "walking dead."

In the end, everything in Christ must be experiential. Anything less than that is going through motions that are completely devoid of life, and living off of something that you once or never had.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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What if Adam and Eve Hadn't Eaten of Wrong Tree? Part 3

When we talk of Christ in you, it of course goes beyond personally alone (although it definitely includes it) to experiencing Him corporately in His people.

There is no other place to start in reference to the purpose of God than to have a fellowship with the Godhead within a people together. Of course it has to be in each person, but from there it is meant to be shared and expressed among a people together. That's how Christ is to be seen on this earth: through a visible people with His life in them.

This obviously goes beyond just some type of general presence that feels good, just like any person we get close to will end up changing and challenging our lives just by spending time with them. It's the same with Christ in His people.

Through the ages we always get people talking of the desire to see things restored in the church, but if Christ within isn't the place we start, there's no hope that it can end up in the right place.

Christ in us is the hope of glory, and that glory can never be expressed and lived unless we give Him permission to live His live there, and we do so as a people.

Having said this, the element missing in most of this is the willingness to endure the cross over our lifetimes in order to make room for Christ. The work of the cross weakens and devastates our old man in order that Christ can be seen.

I know that our old man has been buried with Christ, but he does like to try to act like he's alive. The work of the cross ensures that we keep him dead and buried.

There is really no other place to start than this. If this isn't done, it really doesn't matter what follows, it will be off center very quickly, and will not survive long; at least as a testimony to who the Lord really is.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
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What is Jesus Really After?

To answer that question we must go to the end. And what is the end. The final step and result of everything in connection to His purpose in creating man is that He may be all in all.

There is no other vision greater than this for Him, that's the end.

Of course the question then arises: How do we get there?

The answer is through a lifetime of God bringing us through circumstances that deal with our selfishness. I could call it the old man, the flesh ... but in the end, it's just another way of saying self, selfishness, self-centeredness and caring only about yourself.

Those looking for something far better than the man-created religious systems of our day, will never be able to bring forth something better, if the self isn't dealt with. The only way self is dealt with is by embracing willingly the inner work of the cross of Jesus Christ.

This is one of the reason so many things, even in the over 30 years I've been outside the religious system, and fellowshipping with those on a similar journey, who are looking - like Abraham, for a city whose builder and maker is God, have fallen by the wayside.

It doesn't take long amongst a group of people who have to face the reality of living close together, to find out they aren't very lovable. God doesn't love us because we're lovable, but because He's love.

One of the reasons so many people resist moving into what they instinctually know is the way of God, is because they understand there will be a great cost if they do.

The reason those who do go out and make the attempt fail, is because of their self life.

Self is so strong, it takes the extraordinary weakening through the work of the cross to become a human being of the type the Lord is looking for, not through our work of effort, but from taking everything that comes our way as from the hand of God Himself.

The Lion from the tribe of Judah overcame not because he was a lion, but because He was the lamb of God. It's the lamb that overcomes. It's the work of the cross within us that will eventually bring forth the life and image of Christ.

We must ask Him to help us hold to Him and keep our hearts open before Him as He does His work within us. We aren't even able to do that. We are totally and completely dependent on Jesus and we need to ask Him for his grace and mercy in order to walk on the path He has set before us.

The weaker we become in our self life, the stronger he'll become within us, and the more we'll be able to walk in the fellowship and extraordinary life He as also planned for us in Him. When we are weakest, He is the strongest. We need Him to be strong, not ourselves.

All that He wants for Himself in us will never happen if these things aren't part of our lives.

Job: Embracing the Cross

 
The purpose of this article is to stimulate you to willfully take hold of the Cross of Jesus Christ and let it work within you deeply.
 
While there is a lot to learn of the cross in Job, I want to center in on how he sat there under its bloody application to his life, and let it do its work.  

It has become somewhat fashionable in some Christian circles to blast at anything that would oppose what some would call prosperity and wealth. Yet at God’s instigation and permission, He allowed Job to be devastated in every area of His life.  What I want us to look at is how Job responded to what came upon him. The person closest to him counseled him to curse God and die. In other words, she was encouraging him to commit spiritual suicide that would result in his physical death. In this view at least, his suffering and torment would be over.  

Of course all of us who have read Job know of how his friends came and gave their opinion as to why all of these things had happened.  

What was Job’s response? He simply sat under what happened until what was meant to be accomplished was accomplished. In other words; he embraced the cross!  Embracing the cross refers to the fact that he didn’t try to get out from under what it was that God was doing until the time that he was allowed to be.  

In high school I was on the wrestling team. Our coach one time was showing us the move that it took to escape somebody that was using a certain hold upon us. In doing this, he chose one of the students to use for an example. When the student came to him and grabbed hold of the coach in the way that he was instructed, the coach then proceeded to show us how to escape the hold of the student. A surprising thing happened: The coach couldn’t get the student to let go of the hold that he had upon the coach.  If you can picture yourself going through the painful cross of Jesus Christ, this is about the only response that you can have that will profit you spiritually. Like the student above, all you can do is hang onto the Lord with all your strength while He allows what is happening to you to go on. Any other response will take away the desired purpose that God has for you.  

One of the practical steps in hanging on while your world is turned upside down, is to not try to figure out and analyze what is going on while you are going through it. Both Job and his friends attempted to do this and failed completely. While we are told that Job spoke more accurately about the Lord, yet he was also rebuked for assuming to know what was going on.  

The end is this: we must allow the hand of God to work not only in good times, but especially in the tough times. It is the tough times that will determine who you will be as a Christian and as the church of Jesus Christ. He is quite able to hold you up and to cause you to endure. The way to do this is the same way that Christ did it. You can have your anguishing moment of Gethsemane , but once this is over, you must, like Jesus, submit in peace to the will of the father. Do this and the resultant resurrection life of Jesus Christ will be able to work within you. If there is no cross, after all, how can there be a resurrection?