A Superior Knowledge-By which Believing Mankind,
may know God-The Source of Life.

Throughout the history of mankind, the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom and possessions, have been the main objective in life. It seems that the first came before his effort to gain material wealth and power. It was however, God's intention that he know life on a Spiritual level, which has consistently been God's endeavor to bring mankind's attention to.

Man's failure to distinguish between the two, the natural, physical, material, and the Spiritual, is what placed him in jeopardy. Throughout his lifetime God has faithfully tried to convey the True Wisdom and the, True Knowledge which is Spiritual,to man. Most of the time mankind, chose to determine for himself which he would pursue. God continually cautioned that he was on the wrong track, and as a result he would incur the judgment and wrath of God. Isa. 47:10, "Your wisdom and your knowledge, they have deluded you; for you have said in your heart, 'I Am and there is no one beside me". Jer. 9:23-24, "Thus says the Lord, 'Let not a wise man boast in his wisdom, and let not a mighty man boast in his might, let not a rich man boast in his riches; but let him who boasts, boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I Am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these, declares the Lord".

In the writings of the Apostles, we gain understanding that the wisdom of man is based on the knowledge he has gained, of the natural, physical, material, and is classed as worldly knowledge. Then it is held up in contrast to the wisdom and knowledge that comes from God, and is revealed in His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Gospel. It pales in comparison. All the Wisdom and Knowledge of God was veiled in a Mystery up until Jesus Christ came into the world and completed the work of Redemption and Reconciliation, which was the primary reason for His coming. John 3:17, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge,(condemn),the world; but that the world should be saved through Him". Luke 19: 10, "For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost". The Apostles all write and emphasize,the fact that This Spirit Being expressed Himself in the creation. And that the Word, was in union with God. He was and is God. He was the Life that God is,expressed in bodily form. Nobody knew Him for who He really was, and therefore He had to prove Himself by many, "infallible proofs". He was unknown to mankind, because mankind was blind to the reality of the True God, and His True purpose.

Throughout history, Mankind has spoken of The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, David and all Israel, as the God who hides Himself. Just the opposite of this is true. God has endeavored to reveal Himself in every conceivable way possible in and throughout His creation.

But men who were searching in physical and material places to find Him, could only come to know Him in an impersonal way. All that man could discover of God, was that He was all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. Read and reread what Jesus had to say about knowing the Father, by knowing the Son, And it would be the Son who did the introducing and bring about the knowledge of God. For mankind in his natural condition, didn't know the Father or the Son. John 1:10-12, "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."

Since mankind in his ignorance of God, did not come to know Him, it became His task to make Himself known to man, and this He could only do through another man. It became the task of Jesus at this point to reveal the Person of God to mankind through Himself, the Son, and at the same time make the Father known to the true Believer.

This part of the unveiling of the great mystery of God could only be completed for those who would by faith receive Him, as God the Son. By sharing Himself in Life with all who would believe, He in turn could make them all known to the Father. Hear Paul as he expresses his insight into this revelation of the Father and Son relationship and of God and the believer. Gal. 4:4-9. "But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts crying, Abba! Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. However at that time, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those which by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?"

Hear the Apostle John 17:2 b-"To all whom Thou hast given Him, He may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only True God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent."

The writer of the Gospel according to Matthew records a discourse spoken to the people by Jesus which is very revealing as to the manner in which God has chosen to make Himself known to those who will believer in Him through the corporate oneness by which he has chosen to bring about fallen mankind's redemption and reconciliation, in order to have a Holy T temple, cleansed and purified in which to take up residence here on this earth. Matthew 11: 25-30, "At that time Jesus answered and said, 'I praise Thee, O Father Lord of heaven and earth,that Thou didst hide these things from the wise and intelligent and didst reveal them to babes, Yes, Father, for thus it was well pleasing in Thy sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My Yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and , and My load is light." This statement by Jesus, needs very little comment, except to call attention to it, for it clarifies every thing pertaining to having a relationship with the living, Holy, Righteous God. The Jew only had access to God through the Priest, and Jesus is our Way into a relationship with the Father. Only when the sinner is introduced to the Father by the Son so we have the right to an audience with the Father. And not until we gain an acquaintance with the Son by Faith, will we be introduce to the Father. Jesus, had declared it very emphatically, "No one comes to the Father but by Me."

The prerequisite to knowing the father is to believe in the Son, and come to know Him, who in turn causes the believer to be known of he Father. This is the way that a true family relationship can be and is established.

First the believer must take on a new mental attitude, which is a result of faith. This mental attitude is continually encouraged upon the believer throughout Pauls writings, as well as the rest of the Apostles. Rom. 8:5-17, "For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God: for it does not subject itself to the Law of God, for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the Spirit is alive because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit who indwells you. Then, brethren we are not under obligation, to the flesh, for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body you shall live. for all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God. For you have not received the spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry, Abba! father!" "The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow-heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him in order that we may be glorified with Him."

Paul continues to emphasize the idea of the transition from the thinking or reasoning of the natural man; with the natural mind in control, to the need of the renewal of the spirit of your mind. Rom. 12:2, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Hear Paul's admonition to the church at Ephesus as he explains Christ's coming, and His returning to heaven and what it was He set up in the body of believers, that was meant to bring about a distinction between this body and their former life in the natural realm of the Gentile world. Ephesians 4:10-24, "He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things, And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by the craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects, into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. This I say therefore, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. But you have not learned Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as the Truth is in Jesus, that in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old Self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the, new self, which in the likeness of God, has been created in righteousness and holiness of the Truth."

Titus 3:4-7, "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His Love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His Mercy, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

Does this not readily show us that the believer, through the Gift of the Son as his new source of life, receives a new motivation from within that encompasses the whole person, body soul and spirit, and this includes the regenerated mind. This is necessary for believers to be able to think of themselves in a whole new light, now, as sons / daughters, members of the family of God.

The question put before each of us, is; How do I see myself? Do I see myself, dead, to the impulses of the sinful nature and their dictatorial domination; in the death to sin that Jesus died in my behalf; but alive to God in Him, and on an all new pathway of life?

Or am I struggling against all the weaknesses of the flesh, trying in my own strength, to work out a semblance of the so-called,"Christian Life? The Gospel according to Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, in Romans 4:25-8:39, Needs to be absorbed into the very consciousness of the professing believer. Until it is, your life as a believer will just be mediocre: a struggle between the natural man and the spiritual man will ensue, and the life you are endeavoring to live won't be the joyous, abundant one Jesus promised was ours to be had.

By faith, step out of the old, over into the new, into the rest of God in Christ, and be free from the yoke of bondage. Hebrews 3:18-4:11.

In the Gospel as recorded by John 5:1-,to the end. In this portion of Scripture is an account of a man, lying near a pool, and he was physically infirm. The pool had been a source of life giving water to the city since years earlier when a former King, in a time of siege by Judah"s enemies, had his workmen tunnel under the city walls and from far up in the Judean hills,brought water into the city, which fed this pool. Tradition had it that there was healing powers of their God, Jehovah, in these waters since that time. Coming out of Galilee,to the city of Jerusalem, Jesus went past this pool, and in the course of His manifesting Himself and the Power invested in Him, He caused the man to be made well. Jesus uses the occasion to teach them and us of the Corporate Oneness between the three Person of the Triune God. ver. 17, He remarks, "My father is working until now, and I Myself am working." In the content of the discourse between He and the people, He uses the analogy of a son, serving an apprentiship, learning the family business, and all the intricacies, and secrets, that are kept so mysteriously hidden from the public in order to protect the product, and maintain the quality of the finished product. The father, the head of the family, as well as the head of the business, passes on to the Son all of the secrets. The Son, the faithful Son, doesn't do anything on His own without directions from the Father, either in the things He, Himself does in the process, as well as passing on the knowledge of how they do things, to those whom the Father put in His charge. Ver. 19-20, "Jesus therefore answered and was saying to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the father does,these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He, Himself is doing; and greater works than these will He show Him, that you may marvel."

At this point in His discourse, Jesus takes the analogy out of the physical realm and brings it over into the Spiritual. This now is a revelation to them that just as God had been endeavoring to bestow upon them New Life, so the Son was here in Corporate Oneness with the Father to bestow New Life, Eternal Life, Resurrected Life, upon all who would believe in Him and the Father for it. ver. 23 b-26, "He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear shall live. For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave the Son also to have life in Himself."

Because of the corporate oneness of the Father and the Son, in the original creation and the corporate oneness of the Father and the Son in the work of redemption and reconciliation and restoration, of this corrupted, fallen creation, that has the decree of,(vanity) written over it , neither Person of the Godhead has ever acted independently one from the other. As the Father and the Son fulfill their promised commitment to the creation, the work, that they do is always brought to life; to living reality, by the Life giving power of the Holy Spirit.. All of the witnesses write of this corporate oneness they have been brought into, in the terms of, Fellowship in the Spirit, Members of one body, Co-laborers with God the Father and God the Son in Proclaiming the Good News to the world. John says this is all brought about by the,"Logos", the "Word" told out in living bodily reality. The Writer of the Book of Hebrews, proclaims the Word as Living, and active and sharper than any two edged sword, creating a Cleavage, between the Natural man and the Spiritual Being. Heb. 4:12-13. John records how Jesus condensed this entire thought in the words, John 12:44-50, "And Jesus cried out and said, 'he who believes in Me does not believe in Me, but in Him who sent Me. 'And he who beholds Me beholds the One who sent Me, I have come as a light into the world, that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. And if anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but that the world through Me might be saved. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; 'the Word I have spoke is what will judge him in the last day.' For I did not speak on My own initiative,but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me commandments, what to say, and what to speak. And I know that His commandment is,"Eternal Life"; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the father has told Me."
The enlightenment at this point is, believe God and His

Word concerning the Son, and enter into a living relationship, (fellowship) with God; Or reject Him and His Word in Jesus Christ and continue on your way, in Spiritual Darkness to eternal death. Thus remaining in a condition of estrangement from God, for the remainder of this life and forever.

Mankind's failure, in the majority, from the beginning has been his refusal to accept the Life sustaining food of the Word of God, and has received a distorted and false interpretation of God's Word to the world, thus the statement to the nations, "being without strength, without hope, and without God in this world."

The full and complete embodiment of this truth is recorded by Paul in his letter to the Ephesian Church, in a prayer, Eph. 1:13-23. "In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the Gospel of your salvation--having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory. For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you, and of your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of the calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might, which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the , far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body the fullness of Him who fills all in all."

It is difficult to stop here, for after expounding all there is for the believer in Christ, and the position, He now holds as a result of His mighty work, from here on in this letter, he expounds once again the effect of this mighty working power, in bringing the believer through the transition from one among those dead in trespasses and sins, into the glorious liberty of being saved out of the power of our sins over us, to a complete deliverance from our slavery to them, to being seated in the heavenlies, in the corporate oneness in Christ which is the believers present resting place.

Here-in lies the complete fulfillment, in answer to (Christ's), prayer as recorded in the 17th, chapter of Johns Gospel, ver. 20-26. "I do not ask on behalf of these alone,(the Apostles with Him at the time), but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, as even as Thou didst love Me. Father, I desire that they also whom Thou hast given Me be with Me where I am, in order that they may behold My glory, which Thou hast given Me; for Thou didst love Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, although the world has not known Thee, yet I have known Thee; and these have known that Thou didst send Me; and I have made Thy name known to them, and will make it known; that the love where with Thou didst love Me may be in them, and I in them"

The invitation remains the same. He invites all to come to Him and learn to know Him, and the Father, and enter the rest He has provided for the, believing, person. It is the same rest of God, that was offered to mankind from the beginning, but mankind in the natural realm of life never came to enjoy, God's Life of Rest. "And God rested from all His labors." Matt. 11:28-30, "Come unto Me, all you who are weary and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I Am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. for my yoke is easy and My burden, (load), is light."

The rest He offers and provides, goes far beyond the temporal rest offered to the children of Israel in the earthly realm of the land of Israel. This rest incorporates the body, soul and spirit, now and in eternity. Once again read Hebrews 3:18-4:16.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall through following the same example of DISOBEDIENCE.!

The Law of sin, and the Law of death and the Law of judgment, stands as a barrier, over which mankind cannot, Build a Bridge, the barrier needed to be broken down, and this is what God in Jesus Christ has done two thousand years ago, and in doing so established peace for all time between God and His Creation. Once again read Ephesian, the second chapter and absorb it, for this is your new standing in Christ Jesus, and your relationship with the God of creation.

It can really be seen, I believe, by a True Believer, that salvation, eternal life, is a, "Person" Jesus Christ the Son in whom God, resided in all His fullness. By giving Himself in Life, death, and resurrection, to the Father, He satisfied the just demands of a Holy, Righteous God, and Creator, so that through the gift of His Spirit, the gift of eternal life could be shared with all who would exercise True Faith. This He did so that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy spirit, might be known in their, Majesty, power, and glory, as He shared all of Himself with all who would enter into His fullness.

The philosophies of man have always run rampant in the world, and yet none have ever been able to offer anything more than warmed over ideas, by which mankind is led to measure himself and his success. Mankind has always measured success by the wisdom and knowledge he has gained of his surroundings, and the amount of material possessions he has been able to amass, and the amount of power and influence he has been able to wield in the world in which he is endeavoring to make his mark. All of his effort is to bring himself glory and praise, and yet this is just the opposite of what God had intended man's purpose to be. Jesus the Christ of God is the only one to ever fulfill His true purpose. This accomplishment of His is what God has decreed would be put to every believers account, and credited to him/her, in God's spiritual treasure house. It's all there for us to draw upon. We have been given a drawing account that covers all our expenses, and some left over to spare. The question is, are we availing ourselves of all the benefits?

The Apostles had responded to the invitation and had entered the experience of not only knowing Him in the flesh, but also after the resurrection and the ascension, had partaken of Him in all His resurrected power, through the gift of His Holy Spirit. They are all motivated by Him in the Spirit, for the rest of their earthly lives.

SO ALSO CAN WE--WHY MISS THE BEST LIFE? THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HIS UNSPEAKABLE GIFT

Rugged Clifs-south Point-Most Southerly point of U.S.

All Things Pertaining To Life And Godliness

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