Spiritual Responsibility

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom 12:1)

There is a certain point of our spiritual journey that we need to realize that spirituality requires responsibility. In the Jewish culture and boy or a girl reaching the age of 13 and 12 respectively where one will be responsible for their actions and to keep the commandments. The child is then recognized as a son or daughter of the covenant. Paul refers to those who lack going into this phase of spirituality as being carnal not able to progress into deeper truths (1 Cor 3:1, 2). It is not so much about cumulating head knowledge regarding spiritual matters but living and demonstrating God's truths in actions. Being carnal brings about envy, strife, divisions without any differentiation to unspiritual men and women (1 Cor 3:3). Carnality is the fleshly or base life of humanity living under the condemnation of the law (Rom 8:1). God’s divine plan is to save us that the law becomes the covenant and realization of the good, acceptable and perfect will of God to His children. 

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17)

The Lord wishes that we obey through His Spirit communicating to our spirit. He does not wish that we live according to our mind, will, emotions or out of our flesh. We are taught not to conform to the pattern of this world where another spirit works in the children of disobedience (Eph 2:2). In order to yield to the Spirit one has to walk humbly before their God in taking up the cross. Jesus said to be yoked to Him, take up His character of meekness and lowliness of heart, not self exaltation and insisting on our own way and rights. Being yoked to Christ is shalom or perfect peace and assurance (Matt 11:29). Being yoked to Christ means we walk where He walks and our will is to do His will. The Sermon on the Mount is no longer a burden but a joy because we have entered into the position of being a son of the covenant.

The Complete Work of the Lord

And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. (Mat 1:21)

This is the message carried by an angel; hence it is an important if not the most important news for mankind. We cannot miss the Gospel that YHWH Saves (Jesus) us from sin and has come to accomplish the complete work of salvation through the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many would want Jesus to bless their family, turn around economic situations, heal sicknesses, bring peace into relationship, etc but we can miss the message from on high if we fail to allow Yehoshua or Yeshua Messiah to do His complete work in us. Blessings, healings, restoration and other benefits are not wrong by themselves, as a matter of fact, the Lord wants to undo what the devil has ravaged in lives. We cannot afford to miss the original heavenly intent and eternal purpose. Salvation from sin is by faith, let there be no doubt about that truth, however it is up to us to relinquish our right to the pleasure of sin (Heb 11:25) and allow complete cleansing to take its full course so that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9).

He Will Tear Us

Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. (Hos 6:1)

There will be seasons when the unchanging God will chastise whom He loves, but not without mercy. If judgment does not begin in the house of God, the heathens will point their finger at God to accuse Him for injustice in reserving the unjust unto the Day of Judgment for punishment (2 Pet 2:9). He is not interested in our pain, but to bring many sons to glory. Tearing is painful; there is a cost of discipleship. The invitation to inherit the Kingdom of God does come with a price, namely the cost of laying down self.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (Mat 11:28-29)

Jesus invitation is the same, ‘Come’. The result of coming to the Lord is to experience in every sense of the word His rest, perfect peace, Shalom. Coming requiring a laying down of the old in order to inherit the new. It is leaving the yoke of sin for the yoke of discipleship, which is the yoke of the cross. Tearing begins to take place one we have heeded  His call and decide to follow Him. God did not make us robots with a on-off switch, we have to decide. It is the decision to lay down our will and yield to His. The place of rest is the place of abiding in Christ hence Christ cannot have the world or sin embedded in. It is the question of black or white, never grey. He will tear only those who belong to Him in order that there will be a body of believers whose heart is only to love Him, an undivided heart that has the love of the Father in them (1 John 2:15).