Who Are We?

The mindset we possess determines our future.

This essay has been prompted by a recent experience in a discussion with other believers about the first of the fruits of the spirit, that of love.

We are hamstrung in our English language by having one word for love, whereas the Greek language has five separate words for differing types of love. The Greek word in Galatians 5, where we find a listing of the fruits of the spirit, is agape, pronounced ag-ah-pay, used 116 times in the New Testament, and mostly translated as love.

In our discussion, the definition of this type of love was proclaimed as unconditional love, to which I noted that unconditional love was a more humanistic viewpoint. This brought some angst to the discussion. We are generally so bound by religious precepts that we cannot see the spiritual from the humanistic.

This a satanic deception effective from the Garden of Eden to today.

From the day of the fall, Satan has been given spiritual authority on Earth over humanity, but not the rulership. When we become born-again by accepting Jesus as our Master, we move from under satan’s authority to that of the Holy Spirit, and hence our mode of spiritual development, rather than being oppressed by darkness, blossoms like a new Spring day into the spiritual light.

Our Laodicean churches use baptism as the signifying event showing the world that we have turned to being believers. Another very effective deception of satan that makes baptism a religious act, rather than the spiritual line in the sand it was designed to be. Are you in darkness or light? Baptism shows satan that you are now in the light of spiritual awakening for God’s purposes.

As a newly created spiritual being in an Earthly form, you move from spiritual oppression to spiritual acceleration. Paul put it this way in the famous humanistic “love” chapter:

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 LEB  but whenever the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.  (11)  When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I set aside the things of a child.  (12)  For now we see through a mirror indirectly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know completely, just as I have also been completely known.

The entire chapter is about the spiritual gift of agape (love), neatly sandwiched between chapters 12 and 14, both about spiritual gifts. This chapter is quoted at nearly every wedding completely out of context, referring to the humanistic emotional “love” between married couples.

I will use the discourse between Jesus and His followers when His family was outside the house in which He was teaching:

Mark 3:31-35 LEB  And his mother and his brothers arrived, and standing outside, they sent word to him to summon him.  (32)  And a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "Behold, your mother and your brothers are outside looking for you."  (33)  And he answered them and said, "Who is my mother or my brothers?"  (34)  And looking around at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, "Behold, my mother and my brothers!  (35)  For whoever does the will of God, this person is my brother and sister and mother."

Those who do the will of God, those in-dwelt spiritual slaves to their Messiah, are those who see the spiritual significance of agape “love”. In a humanistic sense, we use our family as an example of unconditional love. If it is a humanistic response it cannot be spiritual. The argument that agape “love” is unconditional love falls flat in this reality.

Agape “love” is a deeply spiritual love only the Father can impart to us and it is the only way we can return agape “love” to our Father. This level of “love”, this deep spiritual Fatherly “love” is unavailable to unbelievers.

After pointing out this reality to the discussion group, the conversation quickly descended into the humanistic level of love of neighbors. Who do we like, etc.

This level of discussion is encouraged by our Pastors as we struggle with what it is to be a “Christian”. We always seem to descend to the humanistic rather than maintain our perspective of in-dwelt spiritual ascension.

This is such a pervasive retreat for us.

Teaching that those in the Spirit discern the Spirit is as rare as teeth in hens.

Romans 8:5-10 LEB  For those who are living according to the flesh are intent on the things of the flesh, but those who are living according to the Spirit are intent on the things of the Spirit.  (6)  For the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace,  (7)  because the mindset of the flesh is enmity toward God, for it is not subjected to the law of God, for it is not able to do so,  (8)  and those who are in the flesh are not able to please God.  (9)  But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him.  (10)  But if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

We are spiritually alive in Christ but our flesh is dead. We are to think like Christ by living FROM the unearned favor of Christ, renewing our minds towards the Spirit of Christ.

Please, please, please, let us encourage all believers to see FROM Christ and not entertain our natural inclination toward religious doctrine.

Your in-dwelt spiritual slave to Yeshua (Gal 2:20 KJV)