God’s Kingdom Within — Scott STANLEY

God’s Kingdom Within

Study Three

scottSTANLEY

In this study we are going to be taking a look at the third foundational study entitled “God’s Kingdom Within.” We have looked at the Godhead, the issue of the Father and Son. We have looked at the Holy Spirit, and this study deals with the mechanics of salvation, or the application of what we have come to understand in the first two foundational studies. How can we make our understanding practical? What does it mean to serve God? How can we become kings and priests before God? You know, in Revelation 1, Jesus Christ has made us kings and priests. How does that take place? Well I think this study will help answer that question and I praise God for the information I’m going to be giving you in this. The concepts that are contained in this are from Genesis to Revelation and again, this is something that is essential that we grasp and begin to apply in our lives if we’re ever going to understand the meaning of the book.

Several years ago the Lord gave me an equation that I would like to share with you. It goes like this. Thoughts produce feelings. Feelings, actions. Actions, if done over and over and over become habits. Habits develop character. Character determines destiny. Now if we go back to the way we began this equation, thoughts produce feelings, feelings actions – even if you don’t agree with the conclusion of this equation, it’s the first three steps that you have to understand. Thoughts produce feelings, feelings actions. In other words every single thing that we say or do begins on the inside. Every single thing you say has to first be in your mind. Every single thing you do has to first be a thought. Thoughts produce feelings, feelings lead into actions.

If God is going to change our actions, He has got to change the way we think. Our thoughts have to be changed to be made like unto His. There is a scripture in Ephesians 4, that I want to share with you that you’ll be hearing over and over in these studies. But in Ephesians 4, verse 13 he says,

Ephesians 4:13

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect [complete] man [How complete? King James has put “perfect.” That word simply means “complete.”], unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

Now consider what the apostle Paul has just stated in this letter. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man.”

How perfect? How complete? “Unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” You cannot become more perfect than that. There is no such thing as being more complete than Jesus Christ, other than the Father Himself, and He is the image of the invisible God. If thoughts are what lead into actions, if it begins with thought, if you are going to walk in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, then you must think the way He thinks. And I believe in this verse when he says “till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God,” I think what he is saying there, isn’t knowledge about the Son of God, but the knowledge He possesses, the knowledge that is between His ears.

Until we’re all coming, we all arrive in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God. There is a way of receiving His understanding. Walking in His knowledge. Let me show you another verse.

Isaiah 53:11

11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

Justification comes by the knowledge of Christ. It is receiving His knowledge that makes you righteous. Now think just for a moment. Think this through. If thought is what leads to action, then sin begins in your mind. If sin begins in your mind, so does righteousness. You could say righteousness is the opposite of sin. You could say righteousness is God’s thought, because you have to think it before you do it. Therefore we are made righteous by means of the knowledge of Christ. Paul repeats this concept over and over. Another way of seeing this, again when you look at Ephesians 4:13, “till we all come in the unity of the faith,” this word “faith.” All of my Christian life I was told “faith” was an action. Faith was something I did. Faith was a verb. But if you take the time to look it up, you’ll discover faith is a noun. Faith is not a verb. The verb of it is “believe.”

In other words, we believe something and the result of what we believe is our faith. Faith therefore, another way of stating faith is “understanding.” When someone asks, “What faith are you of?” they’re meaning, “what mind set, what religion? How do you believe?” And I think that is the way it’s used in the scriptures over and over and over, yet we have been taught that faith is something we do. Yet faith is something that we have. Remember Hebrews 11:1, the definition of faith.

Hebrews 11:1

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

“Substance” and “evidence” are both nouns. Those are nouns. “Substance” and “evidence” is not something you do, it’s something you possess. Now taking this understanding of the word “faith” look at Galatians chapter 2, verse 16.

Galatians 2:16

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, ….

Now if your Bible says “faith in Christ” right there, it’s wrong. It is the faith of Christ. The King James got this one right. It literally is, you’re justified by the faith of Christ. You can compare that to Isaiah 53:11. We’re made righteous by the knowledge of Christ. You see, basically it’s the same thing. It’s the same concept. Let’s read this in Galatians 2:16

16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified [made righteous].

In other words, if God wanted us to stop sinning, He could come down and just simply tie all of us to a chair and we wouldn’t go sin anymore. But that isn’t how He does it, is it? He changes you on the inside. He changes the way you think. How does He do that? Look at Ephesians chapter 5, reading verse 26, speaking of Christ and the church,

Ephesians 5:26

26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water [King James has put] by the word,

This “word” is “rhema.” Rhema is a spoken word. Two words in the Greek that the King James has translated “word.” Let me say it again. There are two different Greek words the King James has translated “word.” One is “rhema,” one is “logos.” “Rhema” is a spoken word. “Logos” is a spoken concept. Both are spoken though. That’s what you’ve got to see. He is going to cleanse and sanctify the church by using words. In this particular verse it is a spoken word. Thoughts produce feelings. Feelings move you to action. God is not going to force anyone physically to do what He wants you to do. He gives you words.

Jesus Christ is going to cleanse and sanctify us, using words to do it. Now every denomination I have ever been in pointed me to this book, and said it is by means of reading the book that you’re going to be changed. And I will admit when I read the book, changes were made in my life. But why were they made? What was actually happening to me? And what actually is the plan of salvation? Remember what we just read in Ephesians 4:13. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, or the unity of understanding and of the knowledge of the Son of God.”

I want to talk about a doctrine that I have simply called abiding in Christ. It’s scriptural to say that. It deals with hearing the voice of God. And I would pray that you have your Bibles out and that you’re ready to read these things yourselves. I’ll be putting every verse on the screen for you, but I want you to be able to see this yourself. It helps if you can read this yourself. And this is something that is ever so precious. Because I see the Lord giving the prophecies in the scriptures of how this doctrine would be given to the world. There are verses that actually bring this out, that this is something that He is going to do before the second coming of Christ. This is something that will be given to the world and those people who have ears to hear, changes will be made in their lives. Let’s begin by looking at 1 John chapter 2 and let’s read verse 24.

1 John 2:24

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye [you] have heard from the beginning. If that which ye [you] have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye [you] also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

There are three different English words the King James has used in this one verse to translate one Greek word. One Greek word is used repeatedly, and the King James has chosen three different words to call it. “Abide, remain and continue.” Now since they used “abide” as the first word, let’s just continue with that. 1 John 2:24, “Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall abide in you, you also shall abide in the Son, and in the Father. Let that abide in you, which you heard from the beginning.” Now what is He talking about? The beginning of what?

Well let’s take this to the gospel of John, chapter 3 where Christ talks about being born again. And in John 3 verse 8 as Christ is speaking to Nicodemus, He makes this statement.

John 3:8

8 The wind bloweth [blows] where it listeth, and thou hearest [hear] the sound thereof [of it], but canst not [you cannot] tell whence it cometh [from where it comes], and whither it goeth [where it goes]: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Now I want to read this same verse in a more literal way. I want you to see literally what these words mean; the definitions of these words. Instead of the wind blows where it listeth, it actually reads, “the spirit breathes where he desires and you hear his voice, but you don’t know from where he comes and you don’t know where he goes. So is every one who has received birth from the spirit.” In other words, if you have had a born again experience in Christ, you were given life, you came alive unto God because you heard His voice. You may not have realized that’s what was happening to you, but according to the scriptures, it is the spirit of God that breathes where He desires. You don’t know from where He comes or where He goes but you hear His voice. So is every one who has been given life from God. You have heard the voice of God. You have come alive unto God. Now let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If that shall abide in you, you’ll abide in the Son and in the Father.

It is hearing the voice of God and learning to develop a hearing ear that this study is about. Let’s turn over to 1 Peter, reading from verse 23, chapter 1.

1 Peter 1:23

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word [logos] of God [logos is a spoken concept], which liveth [lives] and abideth [abides] for ever.

It is the spoken word that gave you life. Being born again by the logos of God.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth [withers], and the flower thereof [of it] falleth [falls] away:

25 But the word of the Lord [the logos; and this word is not “logos,” by the way, it’s “rhema.” It is the spoken word. But the rhema of the Lord endures forever.] endureth for ever. And this is the word [rhema] which by the gospel is preached unto you. [and this is the rhema, the gospel unto you.]

Now, the King James has put, “this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.” But “which by” and “is preached” are not in that verse. The King James put those words in there. The verse actually reads, “This is the word, the spoken word, the gospel unto you.” Consider what I’m saying. The gospel of Christ is the fact that God speaks to you and you hear it, and He gives you life. Take this same concept to James, chapter 1, verse 18.

James 1:18

18 Of his own will begat he us with the word [logos] …

19 Wherefore [Therefore], my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: ….

Swift to hear what? Swift to hear God. Notice, “be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.” Here we see God gave us life, by the logos of truth. Therefore, wherefore, let every man then be swift to hear. Let’s combine this statement with Isaiah chapter 30. In Isaiah 30, verse 21,

Isaiah 30:21

21 And thine [Your] ears shall hear a word behind thee [you], saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye [you] turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Here again, we have another scripture telling us to hear the voice of God. James says be swift to hear, slow to speak. Isaiah chapter 30 says when you start to go to the right or the left, in other words, when you start to get off track, you’re going to hear a word behind you saying, this is the way. In other words, don’t go that way, go this way. This is the way, walk ye in it. This is a precious truth and it’s something that we really need to grasp and learn to develop in our lives, because it makes God a reality like never before.

If I were to ask most denominational groups if there were a higher revelation of God on this planet than the Bible, probably I would be told there isn’t. And yet, we believe the Holy Spirit is in us. The Holy Spirit is a higher revelation of God than the book. It is the spirit of Christ who moved on the prophets to write the book. It is the spirit of Christ that is in us. He is a higher revelation of God than for us to sit down and read the book. He is the book. In fact, if you’re listening to Him, if you let that abide in you which you’ve heard from the beginning, if you are swift to hear the Lord, you have the living book within yourself.

Let me show you how this works. Let me continue to fine tune this for you. Look at Romans chapter 2. In Romans 2, let’s start reading at verse 14.

Romans 2:14

14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

What is he saying here? He says, when we look at the Gentiles, these people who don’t have the law, and yet they are living the law, they’re keeping the law. They are a proof that the law is written on their heart. Their conscience is accusing or excusing what they are doing. They don’t have the law, they don’t have the written book and yet they’re living it. It is their conscience that is accusing or excusing what they’re doing. Take this over to 1^st John chapter 3. Let’s just keep building on this.

1 John 3:19

19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

20 For if our heart condemn [condemns] us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth [knows] all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not [doesn’t condemn us], then have we confidence toward God.

In other words, God is greater than you are. He is greater than your heart. If you are moving in a certain direction that He does not want you to go, He can speak to your conscience loud enough that you’ll know this is not right, I should not be doing this. If you aren’t hearing Him say “no,” then you have confidence toward God that this is OK. Now mind you, he isn’t saying at this point anything about the book. He is talking about your heart and what’s taking place on the inside. If you are going to receive the knowledge of Christ to be justified, that means Jesus Christ, or the spirit of Christ has to confirm yea or nay the things that you are believing out of this book. You see, you don’t discard the book. But there is no prophecy of this book, there is not a single line written in this book that is of any private interpretation. That is what Peter is talking about. Let’s read this in 2 Peter chapter 1. Look at verse 20.

2 Peter 1:20

20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. [Why?]

21 For [Because] the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake [spoke] as they were moved by the Holy Ghost [Spirit].

So what he is saying is the fellows who put the book together, the fellows who were moved by God to write what they have written, were moved by the Holy Spirit. It wasn’t by the will of man, it was by God. And if the Holy Spirit is the one who wrote it, the Holy Spirit needs to be the one to tell us the meaning of it. Why? Isaiah 55, verse 8. The Lord says:

Isaiah 55:8

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.

9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If God’s thoughts are different from ours, that means what is coming out of His mouth, His words are going to have different meaning than the way we would interpret them. No prophecy is of any private interpretation. Why? Because holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit and if we are going to understand the meaning of the book, we’ve got to be listening to the voice of God. Look again at Deuteronomy. Turn to Deuteronomy 30 and I want you to see a scripture that actually says this very thing.

Deuteronomy 30:10

10 If thou shalt [you’ll] hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy [your] God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, ….

Now look at it again real close what he just said. You listen to the voice in order to keep what’s written in the book. That is why Paul wrote of a group of people, the Gentiles, which don’t have the book, and yet they’re living the meaning of the book. Their conscience accuses or excuses. John says, well God’s greater than your conscience and if your heart is condemning you, you know God does not want you to do this thing. If your heart doesn’t condemn you, then you have confidence toward God.

Now another thing I want to point out in this, if you’ll remember in Romans 2, these fellows show the work of the law written in their heart. Where have you heard that concept before, of the law being written in the heart? It’s the everlasting covenant. Now I want to read from Hebrews chapter 8 about the everlasting covenant. And this is simply taken, Paul is quoting this from Jeremiah but I want to read this in Hebrews. Hebrews 8 starting at verse 10.

Hebrews 8:10

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, [now let me read this differently. Let’s key on the word “I” here. The Lord says “I” will put my laws into their minds] and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:

Here is the everlasting covenant and what we read in Romans chapter 2 is Paul’s definition of how it works. It is Paul’s definition of the mechanics of it. They are keeping the law without having it, without possessing the book. Their conscience accuses or excuses – they are showing that the law is written in their heart. Here the Lord says, I will do this, this is the everlasting covenant. Hearing the voice of God. Let’s turn back again to Isaiah 55, and I want you to notice in Isaiah 55:3,

Isaiah 55:3

3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

If you do what? If you incline your ear to God, if you hear Him. Remember 1 John 2, what we just read. In 1 John 2:24 – Let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning of your experience. You see, what I’m sharing with you is not something I was taught to do in my denominational background. What I was told to do, after I had had a born again experience, I was given the book and told to read the book and after reading through the book and going through this process, I then sided in with the denomination that agreed the way I read it. And in essence, all I was doing was putting my own interpretation to the book. In other words, I was my own god; I was simply following my definitions of the book. Yet the Lord says, My thoughts are not like your thoughts. I don’t think the way you do. My words aren’t going to be like yours.

So as I read the book and put my interpretation to it, I was in error. There is no prophecy in this book that is of any private interpretation. The Holy Spirit moved on these people to write this and the Holy Spirit will move on us to give us explanation. Look at Genesis 26. Let me show you something interesting. In Genesis 26, verse 5.

Genesis 26:5

5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Abraham lived before the book was written. Abraham didn’t have a book to get up every morning and turn to and read something. Neither did Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by God. Yet they didn’t possess a book either. They were not negligent to read the book. What is it, do you suppose, Sodom and Gomorrah wasn’t doing right before God that would cause God to move on them and destroy them? Could it be they weren’t listening to the conscience? The voice of God is speaking to every man’s conscience, every man on this planet has one. He speaks to every man. And let me tell you this. It is the voice of God only that addresses you through your conscience. I want you to consider what I’m saying. In other words, the adversary cannot move on you and in your conscience make you think something is OK when it isn’t. The adversary can use your intellect and he can use your emotions to deceive you. But the conscience is that window that God uses to speak to you.

When this is all over and you stand before God to give an account of yourself, your conscience is the only thing you’re going to possess. Your conscience is the only thing you have to justify what you’ve done or haven’t done. You’re not going to stand there with your King James or your NIV and read a verse and say, well this is why I did what I did. Your conscience is the only thing you’re going to have. And if that be true, then how could God allow the enemy to get his hands on that and still judge you fairly. Well, that would be impossible. The enemy can come at you through your intellect, through your emotions; you can become angry or lustful, whatever the emotion you want to name, and move on you to do certain things. Thoughts produce feelings, feelings actions. But never the conscience. That is God’s tool to speak to you. Let me show you from the scriptures. Turn to the gospel of John chapter 10. Let’s start reading at verse 1.

John 10:1

1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth [enters] not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth [climbs] up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Remember in Revelation 3, where we read Christ stands at the door knocking? The door. What door? It’s the door of your heart. So let’s just put that in here and notice what He says. Again

John 10:1

1 Verily, verily, [or Most assuredly] I say unto you, He that entereth [enters] not by the door [of the heart] into the sheepfold, but climbeth [climbs] up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2 But he that entereth [enters] in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 To him the porter openeth; [and the porter or the door opener, the person who controls the door, which is yourself, you, opens] and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth [calls] his own sheep by name, and leadeth [leads] them out.

Out of what? Out of confusion. If you would allow Christ to speak to your heart concerning every thing it is you believe, if you would take it to the Lord, open your Bible and you seek the Lord and you let Him impress your heart and you don’t hear Him condemning the things you believe, the things that you’re seeing, then you have confidence toward God. But let me tell you, as He increases the light that you have and helps you see a higher knowledge and have a deeper understanding of yourself and of God, those things will change and you will hear Him saying, “OK, take the next step. Go further in your understanding.” And you will allow, if you can allow Christ to move you into every area of your life, and do this consistently, moment by moment, where you’re abiding in Christ, you’ll never walk in condemnation. You’ll never be walking contrary to what God’s perfect will for you is, if you listen.

Just as he stated in Deuteronomy 30, if you’ll hear the voice in order to do what’s written in the book. Well, Abraham did that very thing. He didn’t possess a book. He simply listened to the voice of God. And Abraham is our example. He’s the father of our faith, of our understanding. Let’s go back to John 10. Let’s continue reading this. I want you to notice in verse 3 that by hearing the voice, allowing Him to come in through the heart, He leads you out. Now in verse 9 he says,

John 10:9

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter [enters] in, …

So what I would like to suggest to you is that he is showing two different parables, but using the same terminology, because in the first one we just read, you come out. In the next part we’re going to read, you go in. Now let me show you. Reading in John 10, let’s go ahead and read verse 3 again.

John 10:3

3 To him the porter openeth [opens]; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth [calls] his own sheep by name, and leadeth [leads] them out.

4 And when he putteth [puts] forth his own sheep, he goeth [goes] before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

Why? Strangers are coming from a different way. It has to be your intellect. It has to be your emotions. But Christ comes in through the conscience. It is the still, small voice. Where have you heard that? The still, small voice, the doctrine, the understanding given Elijah when God was not in the whirlwind. He wasn’t in the fire. He wasn’t in the earthquake. He wasn’t in these outward things. He was in the still, small voice. The Elijah message. Let’s make this connection before we go on with John 10. The Elijah message. If you’ll look at Malachi with me, chapter 4 verse 5.

Malachi 4:5

5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:

6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

What fathers? Our spiritual fathers. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He’s going to turn the heart of the fathers to the children, the heart of the children to the fathers. We are the children. In other words, the heart, the direction of the mind, the way our fathers served God, the Elijah message, the message of the still, small voice is going to turn the children back to the fathers, to see, to understand the way the fathers did. And again I’m telling you, that the voice they listened to was a higher revelation of God than this book. Yes, we use the book. The book is given to us to understand. But it’s of no private interpretation. We can understand things more and greater than Abraham ever dreamed of because we have the testimony of God’s church given us in this book. But if we’re going to read the book, we’ve got to let God interpret it for us as to what He means by what was written, because He is the one who moved on these fellows to write what they’ve written. So let’s come back to the gospel of John, verse 6.

John 10:6

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake [spoke] unto them.

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

Now He’s changing this parable. Notice.

8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall [he’ll] be saved,…

Now in the first part you are coming out, I say, out of the confusion. In this, you’re entering in. Into what? You could say, unto the Father. Entering into more light. I am the door, you could say, to God. He is the way in, to greater light, to better understanding.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. [By me if any man enters in to the light through me, he’ll be saved and shall go into the light and out of the darkness and find pasture.]

10 The thief cometh [comes] not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It is Christ who leads you unto the Father. Turn with me to the gospel of John, chapter 14. And in John 14, let’s start reading at verse 6.

John 14:6

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

7 If ye [you] had known me, ye should [you would] have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye [you] know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip saith [said] unto him, Lord, shew [show] us the Father, and it sufficeth [will suffice] us.

9 Jesus saith [said] unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou [have you] not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then [how do you say then], Shew [Show] us the Father? [Now look at verse 10 closely.]

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in [is in] me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me [abides in me, that dwells in me], he doeth [is doing] the works.

He says He is in the Father. And the Father is in Him. Let me ask you a question. If you want to get into somebody, if you have ever used that phrase, you’re talking about getting into the way they think, getting into the mind. And how do you do that? You ask them questions. You seek them for their understanding. And when they speak back to you and answer your questions, their thoughts, their ideas are coming into you. Hence, you are in them and they are in you. Now He just made the statement, “Don’t you understand, don’t you know, I am in the Father and the Father is in me. The words that I speak I speak not of myself. It is the Father doing the works.” In other words, as He lived on this planet as a man, He had given His heart totally to His Father, understanding of course the concept of abiding, and what it meant to let God dwell in His heart. And He had given His very tongue to His Father, so that every word spoken was confirmed by God in the conscience whether to say it or not to say it.

That is why Christ is the Word of God. He is the Logos of God. Because He only moved, He only spoke, He only did as the Father moved Him to do it. That is why He could say, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father. Don’t you understand I am in Him, He is in Me? The words I speak, I speak not of Myself.” Turn back to James, chapter 3 again. And in James 3, starting at verse 1,

James 3:1

1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend[s] not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

Now what did he just say? No one can tame his tongue. Well, Jesus Christ tamed the tongue, by abiding in the Father. James says, listen again.

2 [If any man doesn’t offend in word, the same is a perfect and able also to bridle the whole body.]

If we begin with the tongue, it will bring into control the whole body. Notice what he says as his example in verse 3.

James 3:3

3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

There is a picture of how we control an animal. We can control a horse by putting a bit in his mouth. God can control us if we give Him the mouth. If we can just simply give Him our tongue. What do I mean by that? Go to the Lord, and promise Him you will not speak except He confirm what you say. Go to the Lord and give Him your tongue. In other words, before you share with anyone, before you open your mouth, you weigh in your heart, should this be spoken or not. You be swift to hear, and slow to speak your own words – should this be spoken?

And you wait for His confirmation in your heart, so that you can say like Jesus, “The words that I speak, I speak not of myself. It is the Father in me doing these works.” And when you learn to develop a hearing ear and not be moved by your emotions, but you learn to listen, swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. See, there’s that emotion. You will be walking even as Christ walked. It takes time to develop that hearing ear and to stay in this mind set. But if God is going to have a people walking in the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, they are going to be in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God – complete.

Jesus Christ is our door to the Father. There is only one God. And He is speaking to us through His Son. And the Son is our mediator, helping us understand the ways of God, helping to bring us that communication. In the gospel of John, looking at John, chapter 16, speaking about the Holy Spirit, which is simply Christ, the risen Savior, notice what it says in verse 13.

John 16:13

13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

In other words, even now the risen Savior is not speaking of His own free will, just saying what He wants. He only speaks to you what He is hearing His Father say to speak to you. He is the mediator. He is our mediator. And He is bringing to us, helping us possess the understanding of God and God’s perfect will for us.

I want to shift gears for the conclusion of this study. And I want to bring in the meaning of the sin nature. And I want to help you understand something that, for me, it was a tremendous revelation and I think, that it’s something that we desperately need to grasp. And I would pray as you go through this section of the study with me that your heart is open to hear God. That He will confirm what I’m saying to you; that you’ll know in your heart this is accurate, this is true. There is a prophecy about John the Baptist in Luke chapter 1, reading verse 15.

Luke 1:15

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost [Spirit], even from his mother’s womb.

This prophecy that John the Baptist would be filled with the Spirit while still being in the womb helps us understand a tremendous truth. If you’ll take this prophecy, if you can see the fulfillment of it, still reading in the same chapter, let’s start reading at verse 39,

Luke 1:39

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost [Spirit]:

42 And she spake [spoke] out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou [you] among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And [from] whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy [your] salutation sounded in mine [my] ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

Now consider what we’ve just read. The prophecy was that John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit while still being in the womb. When Mary gives her salutation, this is the first time John, the baby in the womb, has heard the voice of Mary. But the babe leaps in the womb and it says that Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. When we talk about this word “joy,” and you apply that to a baby in the womb, a baby who hears the salutation yet, the baby has no vocabulary, it doesn’t know the meaning of words. And we see the baby experiencing joy. How could it have joy, having never heard this voice before, having no understanding of the meaning of words, except that the mother being filled with the Holy Spirit. It is the emotion of the mother that John the Baptist felt. Consider what I’m saying. The prophecy is that John the Baptist will be filled with the Holy Spirit in the womb. And yet it says, “and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.” That baby was experiencing the emotions of it’s mother. Every baby does that. Every child in the womb experiences the emotion of the mother.

Take that back to Cain and Abel and let’s look at Adam and Eve. I’ve often wondered about this sin nature and exactly how this was passed on to humanity. And I think in giving us this in Luke, the Lord is answering that question. The difference between Cain and Abel being born after sin entered the world as compared to before sin entered the world, is the emotions the parents passed to those children in the womb. That’s the only difference. What emotion did they have and why am I including the father now? Because the father has a major effect on the mother and the way she feels on the inside. And remember now, if sin begins in the thought, and God is going to eradicate sin, then when you read the book, it has inward application. It is a book to help you understand inwardly.

So let’s look at Eve, and let me ask you, how do you think she felt after having sinned, being cast out of the garden, cherubim put at the gate with a flaming sword? Death enters into the world. How did she feel inwardly during that time? Do you think it’s possible that she felt rejection of God? I’m not saying God rejected her, but He did drive her from the garden, and not allow her to come back in. There’s a reason for that which we’re going to cover in future studies. But right now, understand how she must have felt to have this take place. And also realize how it is stated Eve is the mother of all living. What she passed to Cain and Abel, she has passed to all humanity. Why? Because if you are a babe in the womb without a vocabulary, and you are receiving the emotions of your mother, there is now way for you to understand the feelings that you have. You don’t develop a vocabulary until after you have been birthed a year. So those feelings and emotions are in there wrapped up – have never been dealt with. And you are carrying that your entire life and how you deal with that is a major player in the type of person you become.

When you look at Cain and Abel, each man dealt with it differently. Let me tell you that every human being possesses in their heart a feeling of being “less than” in God’s eyes. It is a rejection of God. If I were to ask you, and I challenge you, go into any room of people, and ask, “does anyone in this room feel as valuable to God as Jesus Christ is? Does anyone feel as important to God? Does anyone feel that God loves them as much as He loves Jesus?” And I doubt if you’ll see anyone raise their hand, that really feels it. They might intellectually assent to it, but they don’t feel it in their heart. It isn’t something that they posses naturally. Yet if Jesus Christ is the price paid from the Father, then we must be as valuable to Him as Jesus. That is the price paid for us.

It’s important that we understand this. Because it gives us a handle on the foundation of the sin nature. It helps us understand what that is. And if we can understand what it is, it can be eradicated. It can be dealt with so that we are set totally and completely free, to walk in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man – the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Now let’s take this thought and understand that the entire world, the foundation of who they are starts right there. It is a rejection of God. That’s why it’s so easy to believe some of the doctrines that we have been told in our denominational experience. It’s so easy to see this angry God and Jesus has to step between us and the Father or we’re going to be wiped out – He has to die at Calvary to spare us. Someone has to die. The law says if you sin, you die. So the Son of God has to go through this because God – He is standing between us and this wrathful, vengeful God. And we can see ourselves, head hung low, and Jesus protecting us from the Father. And I pray as we go through the studies that a different picture begins to emerge for you. But right now, turn to Psalms 24. Reading from verse 1,

Psalm 24:1

1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof [of it]; the world, and they that dwell therein [in it].

2 For [or because] he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

What is the sea?

Isaiah 51:10

10 Art thou [Are you] not it which hath [has] dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath [has] made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

This word, “the waters of the great deep,” this word “deep” is [8415] in the Strong’s Concordance in the Hebrew. The Greek equivalent to this is the word “abyss.” And that is the word used in Revelation that they have translated the bottomless pit. Let’s make the connection. Bottomless pit, the abyss, the waters of the abyss. Waters are a symbol of thought. Waters of the abyss. Our minds are infinite. What do I mean by that? Your mind can never be full. It is infinite. Our minds will never stop growing. Twenty million years from now, you’ll still be able to continue learning. You’ll never receive your last thought because your mind is full. That will never happen to you.

Your mind is infinite. And when Adam and Eve fell into sin, they lost control of infinity, of what was between their ears. And it is a downward plunge that is bottomless. There is no bottom to it. In other words, the wickedness of mankind will only continue to grow. The wickedness of humanity will only get worse and worse and worse and worse and worse. You know, when I was a child, it was safe for me to walk the streets, to play outside, to ride my bike all over town. And yet it isn’t so today. Man continues to degenerate in his thinking, in his wickedness. He is learning to perfect it. But notice, by the same token, if I can plunge down, I can go up. I can ascend out of this thing, as God gives me understanding. And if I go to heaven and spend millions of years with Him, and my mind never being full, but continuing to grow, I can be more like God every day. And fifty million years from now, be more like Him than I was at twenty million years – because I’m infinite.

The wickedness of man will only worsen. The only thing that is going to stop it is God. God will put an end to this thing. But He has made you infinite. And when He allowed Eve to feel the way she did, He was creating in her what was to be passed to us. He was allowing her to feel a certain thing. I’m calling it rejection of God. And she passed that to every human being on this planet and it has only increased over the thousands of years. The sea in Isaiah 51:10 is the water or the thoughts of the abyss, that bottomless pit. Now remember in Revelation where he says, “I saw a new heaven and a new earth, and there was no more sea.” This is something Christ will dry up. He will change that for us. And as we read in Isaiah 51, the sea, the waters of the abyss, this is the way He makes a way for the ransomed to pass back over. It is coming back through that thing, getting a handle on it, understanding, coming back to God. Remember in Revelation 20:1, there is a angel with the key of the abyss and a chain in his hand. And he binds the adversary with that. That is something we’re going to cover in the Revelation studies. Right now understand, when I read Psalms 24,

Psalm 24:1

1 The earth is the LORD’S, and the fullness thereof [of it]; the world, and they that dwell therein [in it].

2 For he hath [Because he] founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

The next verse.

3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? [Who shall ascend out of it and go into the hill of the Lord and stand in his holy place?]

You see this word “stand?” That is the Hebrew equivalent “to abide” in the New Testament. Who is going to abide? Who is going to stay in the temple of God? Who is going to ascend out of this worldly foundation of feeling that rejection of God and stand, enter into the hill of the Lord? The hill. In the Old Testament, in the Hebrew, hill and mountain are the same word. The mountain of the Lord. What is the mountain of the Lord? Look at Joel 3:17.

Joel 3:17

17 So shall ye [you] know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: …

So the question is, who’s going to ascend out of the foundation the whole world stands on? Ascend, go to a higher place, into the mountain of God, into Zion. Turn to Revelation 14. Look at verse 1.

Revelation 14:1

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion [Zion. Here is Christ], and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.

It doesn’t say, in their foreheads is Father, Son, Holy Ghost. They have ascended into Zion with the Lamb out of the earthly foundation, you could say, the sea is dry. They are standing from the mountain of God, the kingdom of God. In prophecy, a mountain is a symbol of a kingdom. And here we have their most forethought is the Father of the Lamb. They are in the kingdom of God. Two verses before we close. Luke 17. Look at verse 21. Let’s read verse 20 with this.

Luke 17:20

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not [doesn’t come] with observation: [or outward observation]

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.

That word actually is “within.” In your margin it may say “among.” You look the word up in the Strong’s Concordance. It actually is “within” you. The kingdom of God is within you. It is between your ears. And compare that to Colossians, chapter 1. Let’s start reading at verse 12.

Colossians 1:12

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath [has] made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

13 Who hath [has] delivered us from the power [authority] of darkness, and hath [has] translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

You’re not waiting to be translated. You are translated – spiritually – into the kingdom, the mind of the Son of God. He is your doorway into the Father because as the Father speaks, the Son speaks only what He hears the Father say. And as you enter into the mind of the Son, you’re receiving the thoughts of God. As you seek the Son for His understanding, He is giving you the understanding of our heavenly Father. He is the messenger at the gate. He is the Savior. I pray that you would let Him save you.

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